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Protesters in Bristol topple the statue of slave trader

CGTN
The death of George Floyd also stirred people against racism in the UK. Protesters in Bristol toppled a long-standing statue of slave trader Edward Colston. Experts believe it could lead to something bigger

Why was the statue of Edward Colston so controversial?

•Jun 8, 2020

Statues, buildings and streets across the UK commemorate those who may have been philanthropists, but also owned and traded slaves.

Almost 300 years since his death, demonstrators in Bristol have toppled the statue of a wealthy businessman who worked as a slave trader.

Edward Colston’s bronze memorial, situated on Colston Avenue in the city centre, was built to honour one of the “most virtuous and wise sons” of Bristol.

But in recent years, campaigners have expressed anger at the commemoration of a several figures across the UK prominently involved in Britain’s slave-trade past.

So what is the best way of righting historical wrongs

London Mayor Sadiq Khan’s ordered a commission to review statues, street names & public buildings

Evening Standard

Jun 9, 2020

Subscribe to The Leader podcast: https://podfollow.com/the-leader London Mayor Sadiq Khan’s ordered a commission to review statues, street names and public buildings that may have a connection to slavery. It could lead to places like the Tate and Sloane Square getting a name change. But should we tear down our past? The Evening Standard’s associate editor Julian Glover argues it’s better to reset the balance by finding ways to remember the history people have forgotten.

Anti-racist activist Lee Jasper: Removing statues recalibrates Britain’s cultural environment

talkRADIO

Jun 8, 2020

talkRADIO’s Julia Hartley-Brewer debates the removal of statues as part of the ongoing Black Lives Matter protests.

Speaking to anti-racist campaigner Lee Jasper, Julia asked: “How does taking down statues to people who did bad things in the past change anything now?”

Mr Jasper, who was formerly the senior policy advisor on equalities to Ken Livingstone, said it was a way to “recalibrate the cultural environment of Britain”.

“It makes a statement that, there are some aspects of our past that we are not particularly proud of and we acknowledge that and we are making some level of reparations within the cultural-sphere to recognise that’s not where we are now and we look back sadly on those events,” he said.

The discussion follows the toppling of 17th century slave trader Edward Colston in Bristol during an anti-racism protest on Sunday. Police have said they are working to identify those involved.

‘A slow removal of black history’ if statues like those of Edward Colston are destroyed

Sky News

Jun 9, 2020

Prof Geoffrey Palmer of Heriot-Watt University, told Sky News that statues shouldn’t be removed, for fear of losing black history.

What should happen to Wales’ slavery statues? | ITV News

ITV News

Jun 9, 2020

There are mounting calls for statues and monuments to a former slave-trader to be removed in Wales.

Cardiff’s Lord Mayor, Cllr Dan De’Ath has written a letter calling for a statue of the “sadistic” Sir Thomas Picton to be removed from the Marble Hall in Cardiff City Hall.

He is remembered for his role in the Peninsular War and for being the highest ranking officer killed at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815. But he also earned the moniker of “Tyrant of Trinidad” after serving as a governor there. He was known for his brutal regime on the island.

The calls come as a statue of slave trader Edward Colston was pulled down during racial equality protests in Bristol.

“Every single statue should be brought down” – Tom Swarbrick’s tense exchange with caller | LBC

LBC

Jun 9, 2020

The toppling of statues by anti-racism protesters is justified according to this caller, and he argued that such monuments would be removed if white people were offended by them.

Ashley phoned in to make the case that the removal of apparently racist figures would help improve dialogue and heal the scars of racism in the UK. He told Tom Swarbrick that statues of Winston Churchill should be removed because of the institutional racism and cruelty he resided over. Tom argued that he didn’t think “the climbing of the cenotaph and the attempted burning of the Union Jack will help” bring credibility to the debate.

Ashley maintained that “a lot of the companies that made Britain the fifth or sixth-largest economy in the world were built off the backs of slaves” and controversially said that “every single statue should be brought down including Winston Churchill’s.”

He argued that Churchill “didn’t defeat Hitler to help me, he defeated him to help you” highlighting his view that the UK has not addressed racial inequalities that existed as far back as war times.

Tom pointed out that Ashley benefits “from a country that is not run by a fascist dictator”, to which the caller suggested Tom wasn’t speaking from a place of experience. Ashley added that when the question of taking down a statue of Jimmy Saville came about “he got taken down instantly” but “it takes years” for action to be taken when black people are offended by a monument, which is then met with the reaction that “criminal damage is the problem.”

Statues of figures linked to UK’s slave trade history start to topple | ITV News

ITV News

Jun 9, 2020

Calls to remove statues which are linked to oppression, the slave trade and white supremacy across the UK have been reignited amid anti-racism demonstrations. Since the toppling of Edward Colston in Bristol, there have been renewed calls from the Rhodes Must Fall campaign, among other student groups, demanding the university removes the statue at Oriel College, Oxford.

McEnany compares Trump’s church visit to Churchill during World War II

Washington Post

Jun 3, 2020

White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany on June 3 compared President Trump’s visit to a church to British Prime Minister Winston Churchill inspecting bomb damage during World War II.