Should we get rid of all statues? If toppling a bronze likeness of slave trader Edward Colston into Bristol harbour was legal, why stop there? Why not replace effigies with trees?
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Verdict slammed as a 'vandal's charter'
Should we get rid of all statues? If toppling a bronze likeness of slave trader Edward Colston into Bristol harbour was legal, why stop there? Why not replace effigies with trees?
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Some have called it "the end of the rule of lawThe idea that those who govern and the government itself must be subject to the same laws as everyone else.". For others, it is a story of 12 citizens using their power to fight racism. This weekend, Britain was divided. The reason was a jury's decision to free the "Colston fourFour protesters, Sage Willoughby, Rhian Graham, Milo Ponsford and Jake Skuse, who were arrested and charged with criminal damage for their involvement in pulling down a statue of Edward Colston in Bristol in May 2020.".
This case started back in 2020. When George FloydAn African-American man who died in Minneapolis in May 2020 when a white police officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes. was murdered in the USA, Black Lives Matter protests spread around the world.
In Britain, the focus was on BristolThe largest city in south-west England. Because of its position on the River Avon and proximity to the coast, it has been a trading city for most of its existence.. During a protest, one group used ropes to pull down a statue. They jumped on its head. Others threw it into the sea.
Why? The statue was of Edward Colston. He was a slave trader.
Last week, the trial ended. The jury came back after three hours. They had their verdict. The Colston four were not guilty.
Critics say the verdict puts all statues at risk. There are plenty of statues of famous people with racist views. Winston ChurchillThe British prime minister during World War Two, and later from 1951 to 1955. is one. Mahatma GandhiAn Indian political activist and lawyer (1869-1948), who emphasised passive resistance. is another.
Some worry that the verdict will make people think they can pull down any statue that they think is offensive.
Others think this is a good thing. Statues are pointless and ugly. Nobody really notices them. Pulling down the statue of Colston was really a much better way to teach people our history. Before the protests, his name was unknown outside Bristol. Now, almost everyone knows the role he played in slavery.
Some say there is a middle ground. Colston's statue is unusual. It was put up as a reaction to another statue in Bristol, of Edmund BurkeIrish statesman, economist and philosopher. Often regarded as the founder of modern British conservatism.. He was a politician who argued against the slave trade. They argue Colston's statue was built to celebrate slavery. Others are built to honour people who did great things. Those are the statues that should stay.
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Should we get rid of all statues?
Yes. Behind every statue lies a crime against human beings. By ripping them down, we can at last make peace with the ugliness of our past.
No. In demolishing statues we attack the past and put the future at risk. We cannot allow our public monuments to fall prey to changing social attitudes.
Or...? Judge statues for the reason they were built, not by the person they depict. If a statue was put up to defend racism, it should come down. If it honours a great but flawed individual, let it stay up.
Keywords
Rule of law - The idea that those who govern and the government itself must be subject to the same laws as everyone else.
Colston four - Four protesters, Sage Willoughby, Rhian Graham, Milo Ponsford and Jake Skuse, who were arrested and charged with criminal damage for their involvement in pulling down a statue of Edward Colston in Bristol in May 2020.
George Floyd - An African-American man who died in Minneapolis in May 2020 when a white police officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes.
Bristol - The largest city in south-west England. Because of its position on the River Avon and proximity to the coast, it has been a trading city for most of its existence.
Winston Churchill - The British prime minister during World War Two, and later from 1951 to 1955.
Mahatma Gandhi - An Indian political activist and lawyer (1869-1948), who emphasised passive resistance.
Edmund Burke - Irish statesman, economist and philosopher. Often regarded as the founder of modern British conservatism.
Verdict slammed as a ‘vandal’s charter’
Glossary
Rule of law - The idea that those who govern and the government itself must be subject to the same laws as everyone else.
Colston four - Four protesters, Sage Willoughby, Rhian Graham, Milo Ponsford and Jake Skuse, who were arrested and charged with criminal damage for their involvement in pulling down a statue of Edward Colston in Bristol in May 2020.
George Floyd - An African-American man who died in Minneapolis in May 2020 when a white police officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes.
Bristol - The largest city in south-west England. Because of its position on the River Avon and proximity to the coast, it has been a trading city for most of its existence.
Winston Churchill - The British prime minister during World War Two, and later from 1951 to 1955.
Mahatma Gandhi - An Indian political activist and lawyer (1869-1948), who emphasised passive resistance.
Edmund Burke - Irish statesman, economist and philosopher. Often regarded as the founder of modern British conservatism.