Story highlights Shrouds covered monuments at midday

Initially, city officials had struggled to find a supplier for such large swaths of material

(CNN) Workers in Charlottesville, Virginia, placed large black tarps Wednesday over two monuments to Confederate military generals, according to video from CNN affiliate WVIR.

The statue of Gen. Robert E. Lee in Emancipation Park and the statue of Gen. Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson in Justice Park were each covered with a tarp. The monuments were the focus of violent protests earlier this month.

Hunting down fabric swaths large enough to drape over the monuments had proven tough, City Council clerk Paige Rice told CNN. But by Wednesday morning, the shrouds were on their way, she said. "The drapes have been ordered and may be in place by the end of the week, pending department resources to properly secure them at both statues," she said.

"The tarps came in earlier than we expected and we had staff available today to cover up the monuments so that is what we did," said Joe Rice, Charlottesville communications coordinator.

At a heated meeting Monday, the City Council unanimously voted to cover the two statues in black.

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