...to the crowd that St. Louis was a champion of the poor.
From his Wikipedia entry, this is the man the Left despises:
Louis IX (1214–1270), commonly known as Saint Louis...is the only King of France to be canonized in the Catholic Church.
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Louis IX is one of the most notable european monarchs of the Middle Ages. His reign is remembered as a medieval golden age in which the Kingdom of France reached an economic as well as political peak. He was held in high regard by the european rulers of his time; a man whose moral integrity made him an arbitrator of their disputes.
He was a reformer and developed French royal justice, in which the king was the supreme judge to whom anyone could appeal to seek the amendment of a judgment. He banned trials by ordeal...and introduced the presumption of innocence in criminal procedure.
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Following a vow he made after a serious illness and confirmed after a miraculous cure, Louis IX took an active part in the Seventh and Eighth crusades.
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Louis's actions were inspired by Christian zeal and Catholic devotion. ... Renowned for his moderate lifestyle, reason, bravery and chivalrous politeness, ... kindness and engaging manner made him popular. ...regarded as the ideal Christian ruler even if he was ... rebuked by contemporaries as a "monk king".
Yeah, tear that statue down. WTF.