The statue was toppled during a Black Lives Matter protest, following the murder of George Floyd by the ex-Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin in May 2020. The 18ft-high bronze statue had long divided opinion in Bristol.
Why did people take down Edward Colston statue?
‘The very heart of protest‘
The court was told that Colston played an active role in the enslavement of 84,000 black people, with around 19,000 people dying on slave ships from Africa.
What happened to the BLM statue in Bristol?
Skuse admitted helping roll the Colston statue to Pero’s bridge (named after an enslaved man who lived in Bristol), where it was thrown into the water, “sentencing [Colston] to death”. Skuse said: “I knew I was in the right, I knew everyone wanted it down. I knew Bristol wanted it, everyone wanted the same thing.”
What happened to the Colston statue in Bristol?
The Colston statue was fished out of the harbor days after the protests ended, by council officials who transported it to a storage facility. It later went on temporary display at the city’s “M Shed” museum.
What happened to the statue in Bristol?
A survey formulated by the We Are Bristol History Commission was the focus of the display which asked citizens what should happen to the statue next. The survey has now closed. The statue is now in M Shed’s collection store. You can see it on our regular free behind the scenes tours.
What did Edward Colston do to slaves?
During Colston’s involvement with the Royal African Company from 1680 to 1692, it is estimated that the company transported over 84,000 African men, women and children to the Caribbean and the rest of the Americas, of whom as many as 19,000 may have died on the journey.
How were the Colston 4 found not guilty?
On Wednesday, three men and a woman who helped pull down a monument to the slave trader Edward Colston at a 2020 Black Lives Matter protest were found not guilty by a jury after they successfully argued they had a lawful excuse.
Why were the Colston 4 cleared?
In particular, they asserted that they had used reasonable force to prevent a crime, on the basis that the ongoing display of the statue with its plaque constituted the display of indecent material contrary to the Indecent Displays (Control) Act 1981.
Why was King Leopold statue removed?
BRUSSELS — A 150-year-old statue of King Leopold II of Belgium, whose forces seized Congo in the late 19th century and ran an exploitative regime that led to the deaths of millions, was removed from a public square in Antwerp on Tuesday, as protests against racism continued around the world.
What happened to Jen Reid statue?
Mayor Marvin Rees said it was up to the people of Bristol to decide what would replace Colston’s statue. Bristol City Council contractors removed the sculpture of Ms Reid and took it away in the back of a lorry by 05:30 BST on Thursday.
What is Colston Girls now called?
Montpelier High School (formerly Colston’s Girls’ School) is a girls secondary Academy, located in the Montpelier area of Bristol, England.
How many deaths did Edward Colston cause?
As a high official of the Royal African Company from 1680 to 1692, Edward Colston played an active role in the enslavement of over 84,000 Africans (including 12,000 children) of whom over 19,000 died en route to the Caribbean and America.
What was Colston famous for?
In 1680 Colston became a member of the Royal African Company which at the time had a monopoly on the slave trade. By 1689 he had risen to become its deputy governor. Slaves bought in West Africa were branded with the company initials RAC, then herded on to ships and plunged into a nightmarish voyage.
Why was Queen Elizabeth statue torn down?
The statues of two British monarchs — Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth II — were pulled down on Canada Day during demonstrations surrounding the Indigenous children who lost their lives at residential schools.
What did the Colston 4 do?
The acquittal by a jury of four people at Bristol Crown Court this week for their role in pulling down the statue of Edward Colston and dumping it in the docks has been greeted with a chorus of outrage by members of parliament.
Who pulled down the statue in Bristol?
Rhian Graham was accused alongside Milo Ponsford, Sage Willoughby and “others unknown” of helping to tie ropes around the statue’s neck that were used to pull it to the ground. Jake Skuse was accused of rolling the statue to Bristol Harbour. The four pleaded not guilty to the charges during the trial.
How many slaves were landed in Bristol?
They carried a total of 36,000 slaves from Africa, averaging 494 a ship. In the ten years 1795-1804 London sent out 155 ships to Africa and carried 46,405 slaves. Bristol’s 29 ships sailed from the coast with 10,718 negroes, while Liverpool’s 1,099 vessels carried 332,800.
When did slavery end in Bristol?
1834
The British trade in enslaved Africans ended in 1807 by an Act of Parliament. Slavery itself was formally outlawed in British territories in 1834.
How much is Colston statue worth?
One of those cleared of criminal damage after the artwork was pulled down tells Sky News its value has increased from £6,000 to about £300,000. The toppled Edward Colston statue could now be worth as much as £300,000 – 50 times higher than its value before it was pulled down.
Who defended the Colston 4?
Raj Chada, a partner at Hodge Jones & Allen, who represented two of the Colston four, said: “In our view, the evidence at the trial was that the toppling was not done violently.
Why did they take down the statue?
The statues misrepresent history, and glorify people who perpetuated slavery, attempted secession from United States, and lost the Civil War. The statues are a painful reminder of past and present institutionalized racism in the United States.