On Monday, protesters at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill toppled the statue of “Silent Sam,” a memorial to a Confederate soldier. Although students had called for the removal of the statue before, the university claimed that its hands were tied by state law. They were, and that state law needs to go.

In 2015, the North Carolina state legislator passed a law that prohibits the removal, relocation or alteration of any monument, memorial or work of art owned by the state without approval from the North Carolina Historical Commission. The conditions under which removal can be granted, however, are extremely narrow.