Tens of thousands of people took part in Black Lives Matter protests across the UK on Sunday, tearing down the statue of a slave owner in Bristol and spraying graffiti on a statue of former Prime Minister Winston Churchill in London.
In Bristol, protestors tore down the statue of 17th century slave trader Edward Colston and dumped it into the River Avon.
THE STATUE BELONGED TO PROMINENT 17TH CENTURY SLAVE TRADER
Video footage of the incident garnered more than 8 million views on Twitter, which also saw the hashtag “Saddam Hussein” trend in the UK – in reference to the famous video of US troops bringing down the former Iraqi leader’s statue in Baghdad in 2003.
Protesters topple statue of slave trader in UK WATCH
The bronze memorial statue has been in Bristol’s city center since 1895 and was previously subject to a petition for its removal signed by 11,000 people.
Colston worked at a slave company that transported around 84,000 African slaves – men, women and children alike. He was a native of Bristol and an active philanthropist in his home city. Due to his charitable contributions, several roads, schools and other landmarks are named after him.
Local media reported that 71-year-old protestor John McAllister tore down black bin bags that were used to hide the statue and told his fellow protestors: “It says ‘erected by the citizens of Bristol as a memorial to one of the most virtuous and wise sons of this city.’” “The man was a slave trader. He was generous to Bristol, but it was off the back of slavery, and it’s absolutely despicable. It’s an insult to the people of Bristol.”
In a powerful image shared on social media, black protestors were seen kneeling on the neck of the toppled statue for eight minutes – the same length of time as the US police officer who knelt on George Floyd’s neck, killing the African American and sparking a global wave of demonstrations against police brutality and racial injustice.