Statue wars
Following the murder of African American Man George Floyd, protestors who by the end of last month and beginning of June, were only chanting #BlackLivesMatter have now took on a new ambition, that of removing from public spaces, symbols of racism.
These symbols include words, emblems and statues. Statues have far much been on the receiving end of the these seekers of justice.
Targeted
Statues of people that aided the slave trade, harboured slaves within their quarters or uttered derogatory words against Africans in the past, are being taken down, one at a time.
In our last article, we covered the start of this revolution where the first statue to be toppled in the recent #BlackLivesMatter protests was that of Slaver Edward Colston.
The effect of that action has spread far and wide. Here are some of the developments.
Boston, USA
Here is the video
VIDEO: A statue of Christopher Columbus in Boston has been beheaded, as calls to remove sculptures commemorating colonizers and slavers sweep America on the back of anti-racism protests pic.twitter.com/ODl8w3nTPC
— AFP News Agency (@AFP) June 11, 2020
Minnesota, USA
Protesters yanked down a Christopher Columbus statue outside the Minnesota State Capitol in St. Paul. https://t.co/5sJPnZb0BG pic.twitter.com/knlWJYCQek
— ABC News (@ABC) June 11, 2020
Richmond, Virginia, USA
Protesters in Richmond have pulled down a statue of Jefferson Davis, the former president of the Confederacy pic.twitter.com/Myl0UfDSNI
— philip lewis (@Phil_Lewis_) June 11, 2020
United Kingdom
Robert Clive was a vicious asset-stripper. His statue has no place on Whitehall | William Dalrymple https://t.co/FkeY5iK1Eg
— The Guardian (@guardian) June 11, 2020
Mathematician (this is now funny)
https://twitter.com/SrTz7Yo3O6SqGpq/status/1270999100633288705?s=20
Democratic Republic of Congo
I took this photo in Kinshasa, DRCongo, some years ago. The statue of H. M. Stanley, discoverer of Livingstone & agent of Belgium’s King Leopold, has been taken down & now lies on the boat he used to navigate the Congo River. pic.twitter.com/6yMBqQHRIC
— John Simpson (@JohnSimpsonNews) June 11, 2020
USA
Republicans defend a statue of the KKK’s first grand wizard https://t.co/AbGhpN9Nt2
— The American Independent (@AmerIndependent) June 11, 2020
Scout’s movement founder Baden-Powell
British statue of scout founder Baden-Powell to be taken down https://t.co/1sXO7tVx2M pic.twitter.com/InS1k17z8p
— Reuters (@Reuters) June 11, 2020
United Kingdom
Watch live: London's Robert Milligan statue is removed https://t.co/Tgz6AKCJ5j
— Reuters (@Reuters) June 9, 2020
USA
A statue of Christopher Columbus at Houston's Bell Park was vandalized with red paint and a cardboard sign reading "rip the head from your oppressor," as statues and icons have been defaced and destroyed amid Black Lives Matter protests around the globe. https://t.co/URgwWhp8if pic.twitter.com/Ks0KihQJPy
— ABC News (@ABC) June 11, 2020
USA
WATCH: City workers in Jacksonville have removed a statue and plaque that have been memorializing Confederate soldiers in a downtown park since 1898 https://t.co/kjtMN7HXyk pic.twitter.com/j6WiQG9lOw
— CBS News (@CBSNews) June 9, 2020
Belgium
Belgium now third country to see removal of statues of historically prejudiced figures, due to #BlackLivesMattters protests.
150 yr old statue of Colonial King Leopold II removed by authorities in Antwerp. He oppressed/enslaved people in Congo in 19th c: pic.twitter.com/s9rwHvk377
— Joyce Karam (@Joyce_Karam) June 9, 2020
UK
Churchill's statue today in London. I'm speechless. pic.twitter.com/sw49kUFjsh
— Robin Johnson (@rdouglasjohnson) June 12, 2020
San Francisco
People just toppled the Junipero Serra statue in San Francisco. Serra founded the first nine Spanish missions in California. pic.twitter.com/YbfEzKMyjH
— Shane Bauer (@shane_bauer) June 20, 2020
San Francisco
Statue of Francis Scott Key, slave owner and author of the Star Spangled Banner, toppled in San Francisco. pic.twitter.com/uhoSNVmoEn
— Shane Bauer (@shane_bauer) June 20, 2020
Baltimore, USA
Protesters just took down the Christopher Columbus statue in Baltimore’s Little Italy. pic.twitter.com/ViPk5eKOtz
— Louis Krauss (@louiskraussnews) July 5, 2020
