The city of Memphis, Tennessee, took down Confederate statues that stood in two public parks on Wednesday — after selling the spaces to a nonprofit organization in order to avoid an arcane legal battle.

Memphis mayor Jim Strickland explained the legal maneuver in a statement that hailed the removal of the Nathan Bedford Forrest and Jefferson Davis statues.

“The statues no longer represent who we are as a modern, diverse city with momentum,” he said in a statement.

“The Forrest statue was placed in 1904, as Jim Crow segregation laws were enacted. The Davis statue was placed in 1964, as the Civil Rights Movement changed our country.”

Strickland explained that the city council voted unanimously to remove the statues two years ago — but was denied a request from the Tennessee Historical Commission.

“It’s important to remember what I’ve said all along: I was committed to remove the statues in a lawful way,” he said in the statement.

“From the beginning, we have followed state law — and tonight’s action is no different.”

The city council then authorized Strickland to sell the parks to a nonprofit called Memphis Greenspace Inc. — which he did Wednesday evening.

Shortly after Strickland signed the paperwork, crowds cheered as the statues came down.

“This is an important moment in the life of our city,” he said. “People from all walks of life came together to make today a reality.”