[6] He left £71,000 to charities after his death, as well as £100,000 to members of his family. A … [64][65] On the same day, the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan called for London statues and street names with links to slavery to be removed or renamed. [70][71] Quinn described it as a "new temporary, public installation". [28][42] They also stated that the act was criminal damage and confirmed that there would be an investigation to identify those involved, adding that they were in the process of collating footage of the incident. As thousands gathered in Bristol, some protesters pelted the canvas that had attempted to hide the bronze statue with eggs. Bristol City councillor Ray Sefia said: "If we in this city want to glorify the slave trade, then the statue should stay. Bristol's first elected mayor, George Ferguson, stated on Twitter in 2013 that "Celebrations for Colston are perverse, not something I shall be taking part in! His works in the city included money to sustain schools, almshouses and churches. He supported and endowed schools, almshouses, hospitals and churches in Bristol, London and elsewhere. Colston grew up in a wealthy merchant family in Bristol and after going to school in London he established himself as a successful trader in textiles and wool. It is believed to have sold about 100,000 west African people in the Caribbean and the Americas between 1672 and 1689 and it was through this company that Colston made the bulk of his fortune, using profits to move into money lending. [47][52][53], Labour leader Keir Starmer said while the manner in which the statue had been pulled down was "completely wrong", it should have been removed "a long, long time ago". [73], Commission for Diversity in the Public Realm, Actions against memorials in the United Kingdom during the George Floyd protests, List of monuments and memorials removed during the George Floyd protests, List of public statues of individuals linked to the Atlantic slave trade, "COLSTON, Edward II (1636–1721), of Mortlake, Surr", "BBC – History – British History in depth: The Business of Enslavement", "The city divided by a slave trader's legacy", "Renamed and shamed: taking on Britain's slave-trade past, from Colston Hall to Penny Lane", "Myths within myths…Edward Colston and that statue", "Bristol torn apart over statue of Edward Colston: But is this a figure of shame or a necessary monument to the history of slavery? "[49] In an interview with Krishnan Guru-Murthy, he said, "We have a statue of someone who made their money by throwing our people into water ... and now he's on the bottom of the water. Besides the statue, there is Colston’s, an independent school, named after him, along with a concert hall, Colston Hall, a high-rise office office block, Colston Tower, Colston Street and Colston Avenue. [34] However, it was criticised by Dresser, who claimed the version was a "sanitised" version of history, arguing the wording minimised Colston's role, omitted the number of child slaves, and focused on West Africans as the original enslavers. Many of his charitable foundations continue. This wording was edited by a former curator at the Bristol Museum and Art Gallery, creating a third proposal that was backed by the Bristol Civic Society. He acknowledged that, as Mayor, he would have to listen to the people who wanted the statue to remain, while UK Policing Minister Kit Malthouse promised a criminal investigation into the incident, saying "prosecutions should follow". "[24] In August 2017 an unauthorized commemorative plaque by sculptor Will Coles was affixed to the statue's plinth, which declared that Bristol was the "Capital of the Atlantic Slave Trade 1730–1745" and memorialising "the 12,000,000 enslaved of whom 6,000,000 died as captives". The 5.5-metre (18ft) bronze statue had stood on Colston Avenue since 1895 as a memorial to his philanthropic works, an avenue he developed after divesting himself of links to a company involved in the selling of tens of thousands of slaves. Campaigners have argued for years that his connections with slavery mean his contribution to the city should be reassessed. The statue of Edward Colston is a bronze statue of Bristol-born merchant Edward Colston (1636–1721), which was originally erected in The Centre in Bristol, England. The statue of slave trader Edward Colston that was toppled from its plinth and pushed into the docks by protesters has long caused anger and divided opinion in Bristol. A significant proportion of Colston's wealth came from investments in slave trading, sugar and other slave-produced goods. Edward Colston was born to a wealthy merchant family in Bristol in 1636 and died in 1721. During his tenure, the Company transported an estimated 84,000 slaves from West Africa to the Americas. The attacker broke one of the stones in two and scrawled a warning to "put Colston's statue back or things will really heat up. [34] A bronze plaque was cast with the following: Edward Colston (1636–1721), MP for Bristol (1710–1713), was one of this city's greatest benefactors. [18][19] In the 1994 catalogue of Trophies of Empire, Drake stated the work refers to:[20]. He added "you can't, in 21st Century Britain, have a slaver on a statue. Cole stated that his aim was "to try to get people to think". Khan set up the Commission for Diversity in the Public Realm to review London's landmarks. On 7 June 2020, the statue was toppled, defaced, and pushed into Bristol Harbour during the George Floyd protests related to the Black Lives Matter movement. The plinth was also covered in graffiti, but remains in place. [68], In what a local councillor believed was retaliation, the headstone and footstone for the enslaved man Scipio Africanus were vandalised in the churchyard of St Mary's Church, Henbury, on 17 June. A statement from the mayor's office called it "unacceptable", claimed that Rees had not been consulted, and promised to continue work on a second plaque. Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up and down arrows for volume. Protesters in Bristol pull down a statue of slave trader Edward Colston Protesters said seeing the statue of slave trader Edward Colston being toppled was "empowering". I call on everyone to challenge racism and inequality in every corner of our city and wherever we see it. [17], In 1992, the statue was depicted in the installation Commemoration Day by Carole Drake, as part of the Trophies of Empire exhibition at the Arnolfini, a gallery in a former tea warehouse in Bristol's harbour. [12] H. J. Wilkins, who uncovered his slave-trading activities in 1920, commented that "we cannot picture him justly except against his historical background". The Mayor of Bristol says the destruction of a statue of slave trader Edward Colston is an "iconic moment" and said he felt "no sense of loss" after it was torn down by Black Live Matter protesters. This should be reserved for those who bring about positive change and who fight for peace, equality and social unity,” the petition reads. Mr Rees has said in the past that he "didn't really enjoy growing up" in Bristol due to racism he faced "being mixed race and from a poor family" and urged the city to unite after the protests. [61] On 1 July, a 24-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of criminal damage to the statue. As an official of the Royal African Company from 1680 to 1692, he was also involved in the transportation of approximately 84,000 enslaved African men, women and young children, of whom 19,000 died on voyages from West Africa to the Caribbean and the Americas. In January 1998, "SLAVE TRADER" was written in paint on the base of the statue. A further five people had been offered restorative justice, such as a fine and/or community service. Many similar debates have raged around the world regarding monuments commemorating people for their role in colonisation, slavery and oppression. The statue of 17th Century merchant Edward Colston had long divided Bristol, in England's south-west, and authorities had today covered it with a tarpaulin ahead of a planned George Floyd and Black Lives Matter demonstration. [11] Further funds were raised after the unveiling, including a contribution from the Society of Merchant Venturers. [28], An unofficial art installation appeared in front of the statue on 18 October 2018 to mark Anti-Slavery Day in the UK. [60] On 22 June 2020 the police released images of people connected to the incident, and asked the public for help identifying the individuals. [37], On 7 June 2020, during the global protests following the killing of George Floyd in the United States,[38] the statue was pulled down by demonstrators who then jumped on it. He was a merchant in the Royal African Company during the 17th Century. Edward Colston, the man in question, was a board member and ultimately the deputy governor of the Royal African Company. This statue was erected in 1895 to commemorate his philanthropy. [51], A spokesperson for Boris Johnson, the Prime minister, said that he "absolutely understands the strength of feeling" but insisted that the democratic process should have been followed, and that police should hold responsible those involved in the criminal act. The statue was recovered from the harbour and put into safe storage by Bristol City Council on 11 June. Bristolians who did not subscribe to his religious and political beliefs were not permitted to benefit from his charities.[35]. [13][14] Colston's involvement in the slave trade predated the abolition movement in Britain, and was during the time when "slavery was generally condoned in England—indeed, throughout Europe—by churchmen, intellectuals and the educated classes". His philanthropy has meant the Colston name permeates Bristol. Colston was part-owner of one of the largest businesses involved in the slave trade, the Royal African Company, but the base of the statue described him as "one of the most virtuous and wise sons" of Bristol. The plaque on the south face bears the words "Erected by citizens of Bristol as a memorial of one of the most virtuous and wise sons of their city AD 1895" and "John Cassidy fecit" (John Cassidy made this). The statue was unveiled by the mayor and the bishop of Bristol on 13 November 1895, a date which had been referred to as "Colston Day" in the city. "That statue is now under water, which is a piece of historical irony because undoubtedly people would've been thrown off the sides of the ships during that journey and there would be many African bodies on the bottom of the water.". "We have had a number of changes in the city over visible symbols of colonialism, we have had a lot of changes in our museums to recognise that and I think they have been very productive changes.". It was created in 1895 by sculptor John Cassidy and is erected on a plinth made of Portland stone. AEST = Australian Eastern Standard Time which is 10 hours ahead of GMT (Greenwich Mean Time). All rights reserved. "[50] In a separate interview, Rees commented that the statue would probably be retrieved from the harbour "at some point", and could end up in a city museum. [5][7] In the 19th century he was seen as a philanthropist. To build a city where racism and inequality no longer exist, we must start by acknowledging Bristol's dark past and removing statues, portraits and names that memorialise a man who benefitted from trading in human lives. [2], The statue, designed by John Cassidy, was erected in the area now known as The Centre in 1895 to commemorate Colston's philanthropy. [33][34] The initial wording of the second plaque mentioned Colston's role in the slave trade, his brief tenure as a Tory MP for Bristol, and criticised his philanthropy as religiously selective: 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. "[28], Rees made a statement suggesting that "it's important to listen to those who found the statue to represent an affront to humanity and make the legacy of today about the future of our city, tackling racism and inequality.