RICHMOND, Va. — A Richmond Circuit Court judge has issued a 10-day injunction barring Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam from removing a statue of Robert E. Lee on Richmond's Monument Avenue.

In a historic announcement on Thursday, Northam ordered the removal of the statue as soon as possible.

“I know some will protest. Some will say Lee was an honorable man. I know many people will be angry, but my friends, I believe in a Virginia that studies its past in an honest way," Northam said. "I believe that when we learn more, we can do more. When we take that honest look at our past we must do more than talk about the future. We must take action.”

The move came amid turmoil across the nation and around the world over the death of George Floyd, a black man who died after a Minneapolis officer pressed his knee into Floyd’s neck for almost 9 minutes, even after he stopped moving.

The injunction request was filed by the attorney Joseph Blackburn on behalf of William C. Gregory, who is a descendant of the original donor of the statue.

Read the full injunction here:

This story was originally published by WTVR in Richmond, Virginia.