Robert E. Lee's great-great grandson 'fine' with removing Confederate statues

Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee's great-great grandson condemned last weekend's deadly attack in Charlottesville, Va. as "sad" and "senseless" and suggesting that it would be "appropriate" to move Confederate statues to museums.

"Eventually, someone is going to have to make a decision, and if that's the local lawmaker, so be it," Robert E. Lee V, 54, said, CNN reported. "But we have to be able to have that conversation without all of the hatred and the violence. And if they choose to take those statues down, fine."

Robert E. Lee V, who works as an athletic director at a Virginia school, according to CNN, said he wouldn't mind having the Confederate statues placed in museums instead of having them mounted on public parks.

"Maybe it's appropriate to have them in museums or to put them in some sort of historical context in that regard," he told CNN.

More:Baltimore removes Confederate statues in wake of Charlottesville

Related:Confederate monuments prompt protests across USA

His response comes days after the violent protests in Charlottesville revolved around the city's decision to remove Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee's statue. One protester, Heather Heyer, 32, was killed and at least 19 others were injured after James Alex Fields, Jr., 20, allegedly slammed his car into a crowd of counter-protesters.

Fields, who was denied bail on Monday, is charged with one count of second-degree murder, one count of hit and run and several counts of malicious wounding.

A public memorial service for Heyer was held Wednesday where friends, family and other mourners paid their respects to the legal assistant. 

"Those sorts of acts on Saturday, that's just not to be tolerated," great-great grandson Lee told CNN. "We feel strongly that Gen. Lee would never ever stand for that sort of violence."

"We just want people to know that the Lee family just really wants to send their best to the people in Charlottesville," he added, CNN reported.