Anti-Racism Protesters Break Off A 125 Y.O. Slave Trader Statue And Chuck It Into Water, People Are Conflicted About This
As the anti-racism protests sparked across the USA, the world took notice. All around the globe, people started marching in solidarity with the US Black Lives Matter movement. One of the countries which showed the most support is the UK, with thousands of people showing up to the gatherings in the cities of London, Bristol, Manchester, Wolverhampton, Nottingham, Glasgow, Edinburgh, and others. However, out of all them, Bristol gained the most attention recently. On Sunday, 10,000 protesters joined the cause in Bristol and made a powerful statement by pulling down a bronze statue of the well-known 17th-century slave trader Edward Colston.
Recently, anti-racism protesters in Bristol made a splash by taking down the statue of a slave trader and trowing in the harbor
The statue was erected in 1895 to honor Colston’s philanthropic work towards people in the city. However, back in the day, he was a well-known slave trader who amassed a large percentage of his wealth through the exploitation of African people. He was the most senior executive of the Royal African Company, which transported about 100,000 people from Africa to the Americas.
Image credits: John Cassidy
Even though there were earlier attempts to take down the controversial statue, there were no plans arranged up until the protesters decided to take matters into their own hands. On Sunday, they toppled the 18-foot bronze statue from its pedestal using ropes.
The moment #BlackLivesMattterUK pulled down the statue of merchant slave trader Edward Colston in #Bristol
Epic. pic.twitter.com/fU0BToyLNI
— Sam (@SamuelLiddell) June 7, 2020
A protester was pictured with his knee on the figure’s neck—reenacting the restraining of George Floyd. The statue was later dragged through the streets and thrown into the harbor.
— uwu colston (@boringdystopian) June 7, 2020
Image credits: SocialPolicy
The act has gained a lot of momentum. Some celebrated removing the symbol of Britain’s racist past, while others chose to condemn the protesters who took part in it. The Wikipedia page of the Edward Colston statue has received an update on its condition: “Drowning in Bristol Harbour where he belongs,” which was later changed to “Figure toppled, damaged and removed, and plinth defaced by demonstrators.”
Image credits: CorbynistaTeen
However, some of those who disapproved of the toppling of the statue actually tried to retrieve it from the water, although with no success.
Image credits: CorbynistaTeen
Image credits: CorbynistaTeen
Someone even took the time to update its new location on Google maps.
Image credits: fuaadnet
Meanwhile, the British government took a stance by denouncing the toppling of the statue. After the incident, the UK’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson said those who attack public property “will face the full force of the law.” However, the removal of the statue was long supported by Bristol Mayor Marvin Rees, who is of Jamaican heritage. While the mayor said he “cannot condone the damage,” he described the action as an “iconic moment.”
Here’s what people had to say about the protesters’ actions
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Some internet users weren’t happy to hear such news
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While others were applauding the protesters
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Share on FacebookGood riddance - his memory can now properly remain in history books and museums and not be glorified by an unecessary statue. No heritage is lost it's just being correctly named. Educating future generations about him will still happen - just without anyone wondering why the hell someone like that would deserve a statue to commemorate them.
I agree with the peaceful protests but destroying your city isn't peaceful. Whether it's a statue or spray painting a building it's not right.
I bet 99.9% of people walked past this statue every day and didn't have a clue about his history... all it takes is one person to do a 'wikipedia' and mob rules, everyone's suddenly offended by history they couldn't be arsed to learn about before
People were being offended by it. There have been campaigns for it's removal since the 90s. The ones who walked past taking no notice didn't gain anything from it's presence and they'll lose nothing by it's removal.
Load More Replies...Everyone talks about slavery in America but most don't think or know about the British slave traders or other nations. It's been swept under the carpet and Britain would rather turn a blind eye and try to forget this unpleasant part of history. But the whole racism movement we're witnessing now has dragged it out into the daylight and impossible to silence anymore. The taking down of this statue is a powerful symbol and it's the history we are making now. Let's make it without racism.
Campaigns to pull down Colston's statue and to rename roads and offices named after him have been going on since the 90s and he's not the only one. I don't think it's quite the blind eye you think it is. Also the history is taught in schools.
Load More Replies...So what did this historic person do that they honored him with this statue in its first place? Did he fund schools? Was he somehow a twisted personality? Why do Americans have statues of slave traders? (Sorry, I'm not from the US)
What about the monarchy? Their powerfulness and welfare also based on a slave trade? Are you gonna topple them and how you gonna justified that?
Oh, bye-bye to the Royals! That would be MARVELLOUS! Justification shouldn't be needed - they've done nothing to earn such great wealth and privilege - it's obscene. I would let the Queen see it out but then bring it to a close. No more unecessary kings and queens.
Load More Replies...Drag it out and put it in a museum, and keep the graffiti. Let people see that part of history, both the statue and the well earned vandalism.
Don't know the guy and I'm completely fine with the statue being gone BUT once you start destroying things you stop being a protestor and start being a rioter.
Maybe but in this instance it was a pretty harmless riot - no-one was hurt.
Load More Replies...Bottomline: bad outcomes for blacks won't reduce until blacks stop committing disproportionately HUGE amounts of violent crime...which ensures their continued contacts with police....of which only a tiny fraction of those contacts results in injury or death. Inconvenient truth! Downvote away...
you shouldnt judge the past with today's moral standards. its stupid and dangerous. No historic person, not even the most honorable, would pass the filter. As no one of us would pass if seen from the future
That makes it sound as though we're 'getting better' and I'm not entirely sure that's right.
Load More Replies...People keep trying to erase our history. good or bad its still our history and it should be used to teach instead of tear down. If you continue to try and erase our history you are setting yourselves up for history repeating itself. Instead of tearing down statues that depict events in our history that we would prefer to forget, why not add a plaque to them and use it as a opportunity to teach why things like this shouldn't happen or explain what happened to stop this from happening again? Look at the time he was alive and what he did was the norm, I'm not condoning it but take the opportunity to tell what happened to the RAC and how people worked to end slave trading. People need to teach not destroy.
No-one is erasing history by tearing down a statue. It doesn't hide anything if Colston's legacy remains in the history books and in the local museum. The statue provided a false narrative by giving Colston an honour that is simply not deserved. Nothing is altered by it's removal. People need to stop being outraged over a fugly statue that shouldn't have been there in the first place. Honouring someone merely because they had money - money not decently earned - is pretty damned disgusting.
Load More Replies...Local people have been campaigning to get rid of the colston statue for ages. The council claimed to not have enough money to do it - yeah right. Just a bunch of cowards not facing up to the need for growth, for change. So people decided to save them some money and take matters into their own hands. The police were there and decided to let it happen. No-one was hurt so the only violence perpetrated was on something that cannot feel or care. There are discussions to retrieve the statue and shove it in the corner of a museum so that the educational part won't be lost. This is how history is made. Nothing is being hidden, colston's heritage for the city still exists but now he's being correctly labeled.
Load More Replies...Good riddance - his memory can now properly remain in history books and museums and not be glorified by an unecessary statue. No heritage is lost it's just being correctly named. Educating future generations about him will still happen - just without anyone wondering why the hell someone like that would deserve a statue to commemorate them.
I agree with the peaceful protests but destroying your city isn't peaceful. Whether it's a statue or spray painting a building it's not right.
I bet 99.9% of people walked past this statue every day and didn't have a clue about his history... all it takes is one person to do a 'wikipedia' and mob rules, everyone's suddenly offended by history they couldn't be arsed to learn about before
People were being offended by it. There have been campaigns for it's removal since the 90s. The ones who walked past taking no notice didn't gain anything from it's presence and they'll lose nothing by it's removal.
Load More Replies...Everyone talks about slavery in America but most don't think or know about the British slave traders or other nations. It's been swept under the carpet and Britain would rather turn a blind eye and try to forget this unpleasant part of history. But the whole racism movement we're witnessing now has dragged it out into the daylight and impossible to silence anymore. The taking down of this statue is a powerful symbol and it's the history we are making now. Let's make it without racism.
Campaigns to pull down Colston's statue and to rename roads and offices named after him have been going on since the 90s and he's not the only one. I don't think it's quite the blind eye you think it is. Also the history is taught in schools.
Load More Replies...So what did this historic person do that they honored him with this statue in its first place? Did he fund schools? Was he somehow a twisted personality? Why do Americans have statues of slave traders? (Sorry, I'm not from the US)
What about the monarchy? Their powerfulness and welfare also based on a slave trade? Are you gonna topple them and how you gonna justified that?
Oh, bye-bye to the Royals! That would be MARVELLOUS! Justification shouldn't be needed - they've done nothing to earn such great wealth and privilege - it's obscene. I would let the Queen see it out but then bring it to a close. No more unecessary kings and queens.
Load More Replies...Drag it out and put it in a museum, and keep the graffiti. Let people see that part of history, both the statue and the well earned vandalism.
Don't know the guy and I'm completely fine with the statue being gone BUT once you start destroying things you stop being a protestor and start being a rioter.
Maybe but in this instance it was a pretty harmless riot - no-one was hurt.
Load More Replies...Bottomline: bad outcomes for blacks won't reduce until blacks stop committing disproportionately HUGE amounts of violent crime...which ensures their continued contacts with police....of which only a tiny fraction of those contacts results in injury or death. Inconvenient truth! Downvote away...
you shouldnt judge the past with today's moral standards. its stupid and dangerous. No historic person, not even the most honorable, would pass the filter. As no one of us would pass if seen from the future
That makes it sound as though we're 'getting better' and I'm not entirely sure that's right.
Load More Replies...People keep trying to erase our history. good or bad its still our history and it should be used to teach instead of tear down. If you continue to try and erase our history you are setting yourselves up for history repeating itself. Instead of tearing down statues that depict events in our history that we would prefer to forget, why not add a plaque to them and use it as a opportunity to teach why things like this shouldn't happen or explain what happened to stop this from happening again? Look at the time he was alive and what he did was the norm, I'm not condoning it but take the opportunity to tell what happened to the RAC and how people worked to end slave trading. People need to teach not destroy.
No-one is erasing history by tearing down a statue. It doesn't hide anything if Colston's legacy remains in the history books and in the local museum. The statue provided a false narrative by giving Colston an honour that is simply not deserved. Nothing is altered by it's removal. People need to stop being outraged over a fugly statue that shouldn't have been there in the first place. Honouring someone merely because they had money - money not decently earned - is pretty damned disgusting.
Load More Replies...Local people have been campaigning to get rid of the colston statue for ages. The council claimed to not have enough money to do it - yeah right. Just a bunch of cowards not facing up to the need for growth, for change. So people decided to save them some money and take matters into their own hands. The police were there and decided to let it happen. No-one was hurt so the only violence perpetrated was on something that cannot feel or care. There are discussions to retrieve the statue and shove it in the corner of a museum so that the educational part won't be lost. This is how history is made. Nothing is being hidden, colston's heritage for the city still exists but now he's being correctly labeled.
Load More Replies...
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