CLINTON- East Feliciana Parish leaders and the public gathered Tuesday evening to discuss the fate of the confederate statue that is on display in front of the courthouse.

The statue represents a Confederate soldier who died in the Civil War, standing tall outside of the East Feliciana courthouse since 1909. Now, its future is just days away from being decided.

Dozens of locals headed to Clinton to talk about the statue just a mile down the road.

Two weeks after planning to discuss the 111-year-old confederate statue, the parish police jury's executive committee has not made any official decisions just yet. Instead, they wanted to hear from those that want to see the statue gone, and those who want it to remain in front of the courthouse.

"It's a war memorial. It should stay right where it was put because it honors the dead," one meeting attendee said.

Some chose to spend their three minutes of speaking time to discuss what the statue stands for and where it stands.

"History has its place, and not in front of the court of law. A courthouse is not a museum. A courthouse is a place where you go to see fairness and justice before the law," a local stated at the meeting.

Not all who spoke took a position. Some that feared a debate over the statue would tear the parish apart say that is exactly what it is doing.

"Look how we are acting here tonight. We have allowed a statue to bring hate into our parish. It should not be."

Some residents asked the police jury to allow for the entire parish to vote on the statue's future. The police jury president says he expects he and his colleagues will make that vote at next week's police jury meeting on July 6.