Black Lives Matters protesters in the UK city of Bristol have torn down a statue of the slave trader Edward Colston.
Footage of the scene shows demonstrators tying a rope around the statue and pulling it down as others cheered. The statue was rolled down the street and pushed into the Bristol Harbour.
This happened a few moments ago.
The Edward Colston statue has been pulled down. pic.twitter.com/E0BUxVHonc— BBC Radio Bristol (@bbcrb) June 7, 2020
Mayor of Bristol, Marvin Rees acknowledged the controversy surrounding the statue, but asked the public to respect its significance.
“I know the removal of the Colston Statue will divide opinion, as the statue itself has done for many years. However, it’s important to listen to those who found the statue to represent an affront to humanity,” he said.
The statue was erected in 1895 and has come to represent the city’s role in the slave trade. Over 11,000 people had signed a petition to remove it.
“Whilst history shouldn’t be forgotten, these people who benefited from the enslavement of individuals do not deserve the honour of a statue,” states the petition.
“This should be reserved for those who bring about positive change and who fight for peace, equality and social unity.”
Between 1672 and 1689 Colston’s company transported over 100,000 slaves from West Africa to the Caribbean and Americas.
To maximise profit, the slaves were crammed into ships, suffering from unhygienic conditions, dehydration and disease that killed more than 20,000 people during the crossing.
Slaves were also branded on the chest with the company’s initials, RAC.
71-year-old protestor John McAllister who removed the black bins hiding the statue before it was torn down, said the statue was “an insult” to the people to Bristol.
“It says ‘erected by the citizens of Bristol, as a memorial to one of the most virtuous and wise sons of the city.’ The man was a slave trader. He was generous to Bristol but it was off the back of slavery and its absolutely despicable,” said McAllister.
Labour MP Clive Lewis tweeted his support for the action. ”If statues of confederates who fought a war for slavery & white supremacy should come down then why not this one? Someone responsible for immeasurable blood & suffering. We’ll never solve structural racism till we get to grips with our history in all its complexity.”
The police are carrying out an investigation to identify the people involved in the incident.
