ADVERTISEMENT

The movement against racism and social injustice following the killing of George Floyd has called out many to reconsider the statues, monuments, and memorials currently standing in a number of cities around the globe.

What started off as the toppling of statues that honored and celebrated slavery and racism has now grown into a whole parallel movement that pushes everyone to rethink people and events in history. Since protesters started taking down certain statues, city governments and private owners started to do the same.

Now, this may be one of the few times when statues are taken down virtually en-masse, but it is definitely not the first time statues are taken down in general as the people associated with them were later proven to be not worthy of one.

Bored Panda has collected a list of some of the most memorable statues that have been taken down for one reason or another. Check out the list below, and while you’re at it, be sure to vote and comment on them! And if you want more statues, Bored Panda has recently published an article on 29 statues that are better than the ones protesters are tearing down, commemorating heroes and events against the evils of the world.

#1

Bust of Bill Cosby (American comedian) in Walt Disney World, Orlando, Florida, taken down in July, 2015 due to accusations of sexual assault.

Walt Disney World Report

#2

Commemorative brick dedicated to Gary Glitter (English glam rock singer) removed from the Wall of Fame at the Cavern Club in Liverpool. It was taken down in November, 2008 due to Glitter's possession of child pornography, child sexual abuse, and attempted rape of minors.

Man vyi Report

#3

Statue of Joe Paterno (American football player) in Penn State's Beaver Stadium, Pennsylvania, taken down on July 22, 2012 due to his child sex abuse scandals.

Audrey Report

Add photo comments
POST
shannondaley avatar
StormsTempest
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Burn it. Anyone who takes advantage of children deserves to be erased from history.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#4

Statue of Leopold II Of Belgium (King of the Belgians) in Ekeren, Belgium, taken down in June, 2020 for colonialist exploitation and other atrocities.

John Scholte Report

Add photo comments
POST
alexbarnett avatar
Alex Barnett
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This guy was particularly bad. Murdered hundreds of thousands (if not millions) of Africans for rubber. Slavery had been abolished in Belgium, but since Congo was a colony he got away with it into the 20th century.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#5

Statue of Edward Colston (English merchant) in Bristol, UK, taken down on 7 June, 2020 for his involvement in slave trade.

Simon Cobb Report

ADVERTISEMENT
#6

Statue of Saddam Hussein (President of Iraq) in Baghdad, Iraq, taken down on April 9, 2003 during the invasion of Iraq by the US forces.

Unknown U.S. military or Department of Defense employee Report

#7

Statue of Christopher Columbus (Italian navigator and admiral) in Richmond, Virginia, taken down, spray-painted, set on fire, and thrown into a nearby lake by protestors on June 9, 2020 in solidarity with Native Americans.

Smash the Iron Cage , CBS6 Report

Add photo comments
POST
whisky-lady avatar
Ksenia M
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'm assuming the people who took the statue down also gave their land back to it's original owners and Richmond, Virginia is currently the property of Native Americans? Otherwise it's just "thoughts and prayers" with vandalism.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#8

Statue of Frank Rizzo (American police officer and politician) in Center City Philadelphia, taken down on June 2, 2020 for his strong opposition against desegregation.

Jim Kenney Report

ADVERTISEMENT
#9

A Confederate memorial in Jacksonville, Florida, taken down on June 9, 2020 as part of the mayor's plan to remove all confederate monuments, memorials, and markers during the George Floyd protests.

Michael Rivera Report

Add photo comments
POST
muresantoea avatar
Toea Muresan Iulia
Community Member
3 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

the column is beautiful, maybe they could have change this monument a bit, not take down entirely

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#10

Statue of Edward Ward Carmack (newspaperman and political figure) in Tennessee Capitol, taken down in June, 2020 for his views against African Americans and encouraged retaliation against the support of the Civil Rights Movement.

Kenneth C. Zirkel Report

ADVERTISEMENT
#11

Statue of J.F.C. Hamilton (British Naval Officer and namesake of Hamilton City) in Hamilton, New Zealand, taken down on June 12, 2020 by the request of the Maori Tribal Confederation Waikato Tainui.

Kaya Report

#12

"One Riot, One Ranger" statue In Dallas, Texas, removed on June 4, 2020 for its reference to a riot by a white lynch mob and for the statue's model being used in helping prevent black students from enrolling in public schools.

Corgan Report

Add photo comments
POST
always2bfaithful avatar
Dianna Siever
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'm confused by the history of this statue and find the explanation provided ambiguous. Maybe in just being thick. Could someone clarify?

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#13

Statue of Cecil John Rhodes (British mining magnate and politician) in Cape Town, South Africa, taken down on 9 April, 2015 as part of a protest to decolonialize education in South Africa.

Danie van der Merwe , Tony Carr Report

Add photo comments
POST
gareth_kennedy avatar
Gareth Kennedy
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Why then do the same people who tore down this statue accept the famed "Rhodes scholarship" to study at Oxford??? Funny how the scholarship is less offensive

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#14

Dunham Massey Hall Sundial, taken down in June, 2020 as a degrading depiction of slavery during the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests.

Mike Peel Report

Add photo comments
POST
julija-mich avatar
Julia Mi
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

when came the point when people accepted this depiction as "norm"?? Racism, nazism, and other diminishing ideology didn't become accepted over night... it's a slow process.... starting from making fun of different human features, finishing with gas chambers. We need to be aware of small things to prevent big ones. It's horrible what human to human can do...

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#15

Statue of Orville L. Hubbard (Mayor of Dearborn) in Dearborn, Michigan, taken down on September 29, 2015 due to his strong views and policies supporting racial segregation.

Anne B. Hood Report

ADVERTISEMENT
#16

Statue of Robert Milligan (Scottish merchant) in the Museum of London Docklands, taken down on June 9, 2020 for him being a slave owner.

Peter Trimming / Statue of Robert Milligan / CC BY-SA 2.0 Report

Add photo comments
POST
lucypuppysocks avatar
GumShoe359
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Agree with other comments. We have history books. Statues are for deserving individuals who did amazing memorable things.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#17

Monument to Robert E. Lee (Confederate General) in New Orleans, Louisiana, taken down on May 19, 2017 as part of a removal of four monuments associated with the Confederacy.

Paulscrawl , Infrogmation of New Orleans Report

Add photo comments
POST
hollyhavis avatar
Musashi
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Public statues are a symbol of honor. Archaic statues, such as those of Roman tyrants, only belong in museums. History, if written as objectively as possible, will not forget the abject losers of the civil war. These deplorables authorized and administered the crime of human bondage the results of which we are still suffering. But they will not be lost to history just because they will no longer be allowed to be honored publicly.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#18

Statue of Michael Jackson (American singer) in London, though officially not stated, it is speculated that it was removed in September, 2013 due to sexual allegations against Jackson.

Patche99z Report

#19

Statue of Jefferson Davis in Frankfort, Kentucky, moved on June 13, 2020 by a vote of the Historic Properties Advisory Commission to the Jefferson Davis State Historic Site due to him being a slave owner.

Daderot Report

Add photo comments
POST
phil_n_deblanc1 avatar
Phil DeBlanc
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

He was more than a slave owner. He was the president of the Confederate States from 1861 to 1865.

View more commentsArrow down menu
#20

Bust of John Mcdonogh in New Orleans, Louisiana, taken down on June 13, 2020 for being a slave owner.

Infrogmation of New Orleans Report

Add photo comments
POST
hazelree avatar
Stille20
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This is a little tricky, because a lot of people owned slaves including presidents.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
ADVERTISEMENT
See Also on Bored Panda
#21

Statue of Jerry Richardson (Former NFL Owner) in Charlotte, North Carolina, taken down to prevent possible vandalism due to allegations of sexual harassment and racist remarks to his former employees.

USA Today Report

#22

Statue of Kate Smith (American singer) at the Xfinity Live! Philadelphia Arena, taken down on April 21, 2019 due to controversy surrounding her 1931 recordings of "That's Why Darkies Were Born" and "Pickaninny Heaven".

Peetlesnumber1 Report

#23

Statue of Williams Carter Wickham in Richmond, Virginia, taken down on June 6, 2020 due to him being a slave owner.

Richmond On The James , Andrew Ringle Report

Add photo comments
POST
hazelree avatar
Stille20
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yea. a lot of people owned slaves, that was a social norm. I think that isn't a reason to take down the statue... if they were in some way a symbol of racial oppression, that's another story. Also there is a difference between pulled over by protesters and the city removed it.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#24

Statue of Appomattox in Alexandria, Virginia, removed on June 2, 2020, was planned for removal after long discussions by the owner, United Daughters of the Confederacy.

Ser Amantio di NicolaoChe Report

#25

Jefferson Davis Memorial in Richmond, Virginia, taken down on June 10, 2020 by protesters for depicting Jefferson Davis, a slave owner.

Martin Falbisoner Report

Add photo comments
POST
muresantoea avatar
Toea Muresan Iulia
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

if instead of him they put a godess or an eagle or something and make a fountain at his feet this could have been reused :)

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
ADVERTISEMENT
See Also on Bored Panda
#26

Monument to Robert E. Lee (Confederate General) in New Orleans, Louisiana, taken down on May 19, 2017 as part of a removal of four monuments associated with the Confederacy.

Hal Jespersen Report

Add photo comments
POST
southkr08 avatar
Katie South
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Captioned incorrectly. That is a picture of JEB Stuart on Monument Ave in Richmond VA

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#27

Statue of Charles Linn (Captain in the Confederate Navy) in Birmingham, Alabaman, toppled on May 31, 2020 by protestors who unsuccessfully attempted to remove the nearby Confederate Soldiers and Sailors Monument.

Daniel Uhlfelder , Mark Almond Report

Add photo comments
POST
valeriefinn avatar
Valerie Finn
Community Member
10 months ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

They attempted to remove a statue commemorating soliders who fought and died? These people are the worst; they deal on absolutes but nearly all absolutes are wrong because nothing is. They think all soliders except those on this side of history had no redeeming qualities or moral complexity to their characters. This is honouring the dead.

View more commentsArrow down menu
#28

Slave Auction Block in Fredericksburg, Virginia, taken down on June 5, 2020 as a symbol of racial oppression.

Sarah Stierch Report

Add photo comments
POST
csaclint avatar
csaclint
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This should have been left. there is no better symbol of the atrocities of slavery, than to view the worn and weathered block men and women were stood upon to be sold as a commodity. This is not an insult, this is a testament

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#29

Confederate Soldiers and Sailors Monument in Birmingham, Alabama, removed in June, 2020, said to be taken down to ease continuing unrest originating from the George Floyd protests.

CBS Report

Add photo comments
POST
hazelree avatar
Stille20
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I have to disagree with this one. I understand removing confederate flags, but this is more a memorial than a glorification. However, not living in Alabama, it's hard to see how this is perceived there.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu