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.

Conservative Counsellor Richard Eddy is one of the reasons the statue was still up without an amended plaque (the original having no mention of slavery.)

Conservative councillor Richard Eddy and the Society of Merchant Venturers (an organisation Colston belonged to) objected to the wording and were successful in, among other things, removing mention of Colston's role as a Tory MP and selective nature of his philanthropy, and disputed the exact number and ages of the thousands of children he trafficked

This gem of humanity is also objecting to the renaming of Colston Hall.

www.bsgconservatives.com/news/conservative-councillor-shocked-colston-hall-name-change

I know a lot of posters feel that the statue should have been removed but not in the way it was. People like this local councillor and the Society of Merchant Venturers effectively blocked the Mayor from having an accurate plaque, acknowledging Colston’s involvement in the slave trade, attached to the statue for several years. What chance did local people have of getting the statue removed through official channels when the Mayor couldn’t get some wording agreed?

’Institutional racism exists for all colours alike does it not?’

core concept

@MsTSwift

Surely we learned from the suffragettes that things don’t change with polite requests.

100% this!!

Watch the videos category 12. You can’t judge the whole thing by one carefully framed photo.

www.msn.com/en-gb/news/other/protesters-in-uk-tear-down-17th-century-slave-traders-statue/vi-BB15akV3

@akissandasmile you called me racist. I asked you to identify any of my posts on this thread that justified that accusation.

I did watch the whole thing and there's a mixture of ethnicities. It's very convenient for your narrative top erase the BAME people participating.

@Freddie28

I am totally against slavery, but he was part of history, the plaque could have been changed to make it more relevant to the 21st century, explaining the good, the bad and the ugly.

It is criminal damage at the end of the day. Imagine what would happen if Nelson Mandela's statue was removed i the same way, to some he was a terrorist, regardless of the amazing work he went on to do.

Who was Nelson Mandela was branded a terrorist by? Oh yes, the same white racist pro apartheid people who were trying to deny him and his fellow South Africans the right to be free. The same people who INVADED SA and forced upon the country their disgusting laws which classed everyone not white as second class citizens, forced racial segregation, discrimination in both economic and political terms and happily shot dead SCHOOL CHILDREN Dont you DARE call Mandela a terrorist when the very people who branded his as such were the biggest terrorisers!

It's very convenient for your narrative top erase the BAME people participating.

If you would like to go back and re-read I clearly stated that I think the Bristol protest was hijacked. It was supposed to be peaceful and about BLM but turned into criminal vandalism to tear down a statue that really accomplishes nothing more than to erase a reminder that causes white guilt.
I haven’t erased BAME from the protest, I am rightly stating that we are not to blame for tearing down the statue. It was planned and executed by white allies who have confused action against racism and slavery with vandalism which accomplishes nothing, risks and endangers BAME lives, and discredits the BLM Movement.

@AKissAndASmile or an apology would suffice.

you called me racist. I asked you to identify any of my posts on this thread that justified that accusation.
I wasn't singling you out. It was a metaphorical 'you'.

Who was Nelson Mandela was branded a terrorist by? Oh yes, the same white racist pro apartheid people who were trying to deny him and his fellow South Africans the right to be free

Exactly

Working for an international organisation I have experienced numerous cases of Racism of and between all colours and cultures. I think racism is out there but it cannot be solely owned by one colour or culture. Not really a concept Glowcat it is just a fact that is glossed over.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Institutional_racism

This "vandalism" certainly has not accomplished nothing - look how much people have learned about slavery due to it!

I, and I'm guessing most Bristolians (having picked up the general vibe in the last 22 years) are bloody glad its gone. I couldn't care less if it's removal was planned by white people, it was the right thing to do whoever did it.

I very much doubt that the people who removed the statue wanted it done in that way. These aren’t mindless vandals. These are people who’ve gathered signatures for petitions, written to politicians, contacted the local media and,
I would imagine, willing sat through hours of local council meetings. You might not agree with what they did but you can’t say they didn’t try to work within the system.

Thank you Glowcat you have confirmed it Yes I have seen both institutional and individual racism over all colours and cultures.

Surely we learned from the suffragettes that things don’t change with polite requests

Very true

Surely we learned from the suffragettes that things don’t change with polite requests

No but they should change with the franchise which is what the suffragettes fought and, in some cases, died for.

Yes it was the war that saw the women get the vote and so it was a reward for what they did in the war in 1918.

In 1833, Britain used £20 million, 40% of its national budget, to buy freedom for all slaves in the Empire. The amount of money borrowed for the Slavery Abolition Act was so large that it wasn’t paid off until 2015. Which means that living British citizens helped pay to end the slave trade.”

Not surprising he had plenty of cash to donate to good causes but whose money was it really ?

He has been dead for 100 years then. And he didn't own any slaves.

Where did I say he was a terrorist or brand him a terrorist? Read the sentence properly, btw, please don't DARE to tell me what I can and cannot do or say-especially when you can't read properly.

In the beautiful words of Kimberly Jones, "you're lucky we're seeking equality and not revenge". We are so ignorant of black history in this country. That has to change.

The statue was erected in 1895, nearly 200 years after Colston died. Colston bought favour for his involvement in the slave trade, when it became a negative thing to be connected with by donating money to the city. There has been long running discussion in Bristol, and there was an online petition for years asking for the statue to be taken down. No council would deal with it. Once lockdowns well and truly over I think lots of people here need to take a field trip to Liverpool and visit the International Slavery Museum. @MidsummerMurder Colostomy Primary, fnaar.

In the beautiful words of Kimberly Jones, "you're lucky we're seeking equality and not revenge". We are so ignorant of black history in this country. That has to change

THIS. Don’t think people realise, it could be a whole lot worse out there. Be grateful the only things being torn down is a statue of a savage beast who threw slaves overboard when they were ill then claimed the insurance. Good riddance, may he rest in hell.