Read on Twitter
This morning, four people charged with criminal damage for the removal of the Edward Colston statue from a plinth in the centre of Bristol during a Black Lives Matter demonstration last year appeared in court. Over 160 people attended an online vigil in solidarity with them.
The four entered not guilty pleas and opted for a trial by jury in the Crown Court, with the first hearing scheduled for 8th February. Lawyers expect a long delay before the trial actually gets under way.
Six further people accepted a caution + £100 fine for their involvement in the toppling of the statue in June. Colston, who is often called a philanthropist + had many Bristol institutions named after him was a 17th century slaver responsible for the enslavement of 84,500 people.
Before last June's demonstration an online petition to remove the statue had amassed over 10,000 signatures. An online survey of over 11,000 Bristol Live readers saw 57% say they did not want those who pulled the statue down to face criminal charges. https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristol-news/revealed-more-half-bristol-people-4217197
At the online vigil this morning, attended by over 160 people, zoom bombers wrote racial slurs over the screen as the video of a speech by black academic Dr. Shawn Sobers was played. Four people who attended court to demonstrate were arrested this morning.
On the toppling of the statue Dr Sobers of University of West England said "When the statue came down, it was people saying they did not want the city to be represented by the architects of structural racism anymore..."
cont. "It was people saying Bristol can learn from its past, and the city can be better than this. It was an act of patriotism, not wanton vandalism. An act of love for the city, not hatred."
A spokesperson from the group Countering Colston, who have been organising around the removal of references to Colston since 2015 said "There is clear evidence that Bristol City Council, in its various guises over the last three decades, has failed to listen to concerns over..."
cont. "idolising a proven slave trader in the centre of the city. There has never been a forum to enable people to voice their concerns, and in so doing allowed the nay-Sayers to prevent any change for 20 - 30 years”
Liza Bilal of Bristol All Black Lives stated “We hope for a fair trial, one that is reflective of the progress we have made and continue to make in the name of anti-Racism”
Since the events of 7th June, there has been a rapid move for institutions across the country to examine their historical links to slavery, and Bristol has seen the removal of the Colston name from Colston Tower, Colston Hall, Bristol Cathedral, and Colston Girls School school
Kelly Ash of Support the Colston 4 stated, "The removal of the Colston name from so many Bristol institutions since the toppling is a great start, but it can't be the end. This prosecution is an insult to the 19,300 men, women+ children Colston murdered..."
cont. " in the course of his business. As long as political leaders continue to regard those people as an irrelevance, we will live under institutions who disproportionately kill, injure and disadvantage Black people in this city."
None of the defendants were available for comment due to legal reasons.
We'll bring you more on the case as it progresses.
We'll bring you more on the case as it progresses.
