Council members believe they have votes to bring down Calhoun statue

John C. Calhoun statue, located in Charleston’s Marion Square. (WCIV)

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCIV) — Amid calls nationwide to take down monuments to the Confederacy and slave owners, Charleston leaders are expected to address the future of one of the city’s most controversial statues on Wednesday.

Charleston City Council members Harry Griffin and Peter Shahid told ABC News 4 and FOX 24’s Bill Burr Tuesday they both believe there are enough votes to bring down the statue of John C. Calhoun in Marion Square, if it comes to that.

The pair wouldn’t expand further on details about what city leaders plan to announce Wednesday in a press conference about the Calhoun statue.

However, Shahid added that the announcement “will put Charleston in a positive light.”

City spokesman Jack O’Toole confirmed Tuesday that details are forthcoming regarding a path forward for the statue.

“Mayor Tecklenburg, City Council and City Legal staff have been working on this issue for some time, and expect to be able to make an announcement on the future of the statue tomorrow,” O’Toole said.

There have been renewed calls in recent weeks for the statue to be removed, following years of criticism of the monument over Calhoun’s history as a white supremacist, slavery advocate and slave owner himself.

The city recently created a new commission to reevaluate Charleston’s handling of controversial monuments and statues following civil unrest tied to nationwide calls for police reform.