The statue of Edward Colston that was torn down and dumped into Bristol Harbour by Black Lives Matter
protesters at the weekend is to be retrieved and displayed in a museum, the city’s council has confirmed.
The monument will be displayed alongside placards from the demonstration that culminated in a moment that made headlines around the world.
Announcing the move, Bristol City Council said it was being taken so “the 300 year story of slavery through to today’s fight for racial equality can be learnt about”.
Bristol Mayor Marvin Rees, added: “The events over the last few days have really highlighted that as a city we all have very different understandings of our past.
“The only way we can work together on our future is by learning the truth of our beginnings, embracing the facts, and sharing those stories with others. This is why this commission is so important.”The statue of Edward Colston will be retrieved from the harbour and exhibited, with #BlackLivesMatter placards, in one of our museums. A decision on how the plinth will be used will be decided democratically through consultation. (1/2) pic.twitter.com/yqPpEy2RiY— Bristol City Council (@BristolCouncil) June 10, 2020What to do with the stone plinth upon which it stood has yet to be decided but the council promised to make a decision “democratically through consultation”.
The memorial to Colston, who made his fortune in the slave trade in the 1600s, had stood in the city since 1895 but in recent years was the subject of a number of petitions – the most recent of which garnered more than 10,000 signatures.
On Sunday protesters took matters into their own hands, tying a rope around the head of the statue and pulling it to the ground.
It was then rolled from the city centre and dumped unceremoniously into Bristol’s harbour – almost exactly at the point where Edward Colston’s ships would have once left for West Africa. The moment a statue of slave trader Edward Colston toppled into Bristol’s harbour. ‘It’s what he deserves. I’ve been waiting all my life for this moment’ someone told me in the moments after. pic.twitter.com/6juqVrsJ6V— Sarah Turnnidge (@sarah_turnnidge) June 7, 2020The episode has led to debates in the
UK over statues of historical figures who made fortunes and reputations on the exploitation of others.
A statue of slaver Robert Milligan outside the Museum of
London Docklands was pulled down on Tuesday and there has been a renewed push for Oxford University to take down a monument to the imperialist Cecil Rhodes.Related... Oxford Uni Chancellor Raises Eyebrows By Defending Cecil Rhodes – Using Nelson Mandela Cecil Rhodes: Protesters Demand The Removal of Imperialist Statue In Oxford Edward Colston Wasn't Just Involved In Britain's Slave Trade. He Ran It
Sadiq Khan 'Hopes' London Statues Of Slave Traders Are Removed Edward Colston Has Gone, But
Britain Still Has Monuments To These Slave Traders