Gary Tramontina, Ten Commandments Courthouse Controversy (2003)

Ten Commandments Courthouse Controversy

Gary Tramontina

In August 2003, a federal court ordered the removal of a monument of the Ten Commandments from the rotunda of the state Judicial Building in Montgomery, Alabama. Alabama chief justice Roy Moore defied the order and appealed the decision but eventually lost. The photos below were taken by Gary Tramontina, a professional freelance photographer from Birmingham, Alabama.

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Ken Cornelius and Carol Moore display signs during a protest in front of the state Judicial Building on August 16, 2003, in Montgomery, Alabama. A rally, blocks away, attracted thousands of supporters of Alabama chief justice Roy Moore’s decision to defy a federal judge’s order to remove a monument of the Ten Commandments from the judicial building.
Gary Tramontina/Getty Images
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Workers pause in preparation to move the Ten Commandments monument from the rotunda of the state Judicial Building on August 27, 2003, in Montgomery, Alabama. The monument, which was inside the building, was ordered removed by federal courts. Alabama chief justice Roy Moore was suspended for refusing to comply with the order.
Gary Tramontina/Getty Images