Debates aroused by the removal of Confederate monuments raise broader issues. Throughout history, iconic monuments at times have been removed, defaced, or destroyed. This session examines reasons for such attacks, providing the basis for comparisons of why such monuments are attacked. Four times of attacking monuments will be discussed – the defacing of ancient Egyptian monuments depicting Hatshepsut, Calvinist iconoclasms, current ISIS destructions of monuments, and also the issue of Confederate statues. These experiences show that opposition to particular types of monuments takes many forms. This opposition reflects important aspects of the political ideologies, social mores, and theologies of the time.