To feel emotional at the slave trader statue

[Millicent10]

being pulled down earlier.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-52954305

This says so much and the symbolism of throwing it in the river is such a suitable ending. Reminds everyone what happened to so many slaves.

Well there it is folks!

@rowantree2020 in the river

I am. Im trying to get a social media mob who claim to care oh so much about the oppressed to address it.
Any takers?

I don’t agree with Milk Tray, but she raises an interesting point about what BAME people want. In order to make progress I think there needs to be clear objectives/demands in the same way that XR have set out for climate change. Otherwise there won’t be any concrete changes.

Wow @ Milktraylimebarrel.

I'm delighted it's gone. Venerating slave traders should be confined to history, there should be no place for it in the present.

Nothing is ever entirely black and white and it’s impossible for us to comprehend the slave trade, it’s was completely barbaric but was judged against a different back drop where hardship was common place and extreme for 99% of people. The past is a foreign country; they do things differently there.

After its refurbishment it is opening under a new name, not sure if the name has been decided on or whether the renovations are still going ahead though! But they decided to change it following pressure about the links with Colston

Brilliant, about bloody time too

@lockdownbaker what is that a response to?

I think it's a missed opportunity to use the statue as a prompt to educate and inform people of the past. If the statue had acted like a prompt to educate and inform people - today would not have happened - the need would not have existed, his statue glorified the spoils of slavery...it should never have been allowed to stand.

I also feel uncomfortable about the way it was removed

I don't think it should have gone in the river, a step too far for me. A lot of time and effort is going to be required to fish it out.
I think it's rightful place is in the Mshed where it can be used as a teaching tool.

milk That’s one of the most disgusting posts I’ve read on mumsnet.

Its not a joke about the cruse ship workers.
They are basically prisoners.
The companies they work for have refused to pay them, wont let them leave the ships to go home and are now charging them for food and water.
There have been mass suicides.These people are desperate and no one is speaking out or trying to help them.
They are from poor, none white countries, doing service jobs for westerners on rubbish wages (even when they were being paid) and are now being left to die while we all congratulate ourselfs on how much we care about racism.

Bristol wasn’t founded by that man. Go read up on Stephen and Matilda. Bristol had strategic importance 500 years before Colston was born. The statue wasn’t erected until over 170 years after he died. My house is older than that statue.

@MilkTrayLimeBarrel - you shame the country you love so much! I feel sorry for you - your heart must be filled with so much hatred.

Thankyou Smile, I must have misunderstood. I though the point of the protests was to raise awareness of the experiences of BAME people and seek to bring about change. I’ll go off and educate myself further

And that has to be the most piss poor use of The Go-Between quote I’ve ever seen.