“The lawsuit is not about resolving the political question; we’re not going to court to answer that question,” Weber said.

“We all have to have that confidence that our elected officials are going to take due account to do what the law says,” he said. “I think the lawsuit benefits both parties in the long run because it will vindicate the rule of law. Once it’s vindicated, we can have a conversation about what monuments the city needs to tell its full story.”

The plaintiffs in the case also are “seeking damages against the city and against each councilor for acting recklessly and in deliberate disregard of the law,” according to a news release from the Monument Fund.

In addition to seeking to recover no less than $500 from each councilor for each plaintiff in the case, the lawsuit seeks at least $100,000 from each defendant for punitive damages.