Protestors in England have toppled the statue of 17th century slave trader Edward Colston.
What We Know:
- The incident occured in the city of Bristol. Protestors pulled the statue down with rope and threw it into the River Avon.
- Protestors also carried signs that said “End Racism” and “Black Lives Matter”. An estimated 10,000 people attended the protest.
- The statue of Edward Colston has stood since 1895. Colston was known for his philanthropy, giving away most of his fortune to charity. However, he is remembered as an active member of the Royal African Company, which transported over 80,000 slaves.
- Controversy has surrounded statues of imperialist figures like Colston, with people arguing that they either honor British history or perpetuate racism and colonialism. Bristol citizens have petitioned for Colston’s statue to be removed for years, but action was never taken by authorities.
- The incident has people divided. Home Secretary Priti Patel called it “utterly disgraceful” and Prime Minister Boris Johnson called it “a betrayal of the cause they purport to serve”. BLM supporters see it as a powerful demonstration and call out the hypocrisy of caring about a statue more than human lives.
Protesters against systemic racism in the UK tore down a bronze statue depicting slave trader Edward Colston, rolling it through the streets before tossing it into the river. https://t.co/K1ZrZ65Nik pic.twitter.com/0n6gENEYhY
— ABC News (@ABC) June 8, 2020
The controversy surrounding imperialist statues in the UK echoes debates in the United States. Americans have petitioned to remove confederate monuments from the Civil War and protestors have toppled statues of generals in recent years.
