UK slave trader statue in Bristol replaced by sculpture of black protester

Issued on: 15/07/2020 – 12:28Modified: 15/07/2020 – 12:30

A statue of a slave trader removed by anti-racism protesters in Britain last month was replaced early on Wednesday – without permission – with a sculpture of a black woman who helped pull it down.

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The new statue, showing Black Lives Matter (BLM) protester Jen Reid with her fist raised, occupies the plinth where the Edward Colston likeness stood before crowds threw it into Bristol harbour in southwest England.

Entitled “A Surge of Power” by artist Marc Quinn, the statue was put in place early on Wednesday without the knowledge of Bristol City Council.

Reid was at the early morning unveiling and told The Guardian newspaper that it was “just incredible”.

“This is going to continue the conversation. I cant see it coming down in a hurry,” she said.

The local authority had said any decision to replace the Colston statue would be taken democratically.

Colstons statue had occupied the plinth since 1895 before being taken down by BLM protesters who took to the streets following the killing of African American George Floyd by police in the US city of Minnesota in May.

His death helped fuel global protests, including in the UK, where much of the focus of demonstrations has been on Britains colonial past.

Colston was a 17th century slave trader and Tory MP whose company forcibly moved large numbers of West Africans.

A native of Bristol, his name is commemorated in many landmarks across the city.

The impact of the march in Bristol has seen calls for otherRead More – Source

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