Yesterday during a Black Lives Matter protest in Bristol, the statue of slave trader Edward Colston was toppled from its plinth and pushed into the docks by protesters. Tara Pilkington reports.
But who was Edward Colston, and what is was the significance of the statue?
- The 18ft bronze statue had stood on Colston Avenue since 1895 as a memorial to Edward Colston’s philanthropic works, an avenue which he developed after divesting himself of links to a company involved in the selling of tens of thousands of slaves.
- In 1680, Colstson joined the Royal African Company (RAC) company which had a monopoly on the west African slave trade. The company branded the slaves, including women and children, with its RAC initials on their chests.
- It is believed that the RAC 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.
Campaigners in Bristol have argued for many years that Colston’s connections with slavery mean that his later contribution to the city need be reassessed.
In 2018, it was decided that the statue’s plaque was to include mention to his slave-trading activities.
An online petition had gathered thousands of signatures saying that the statue has no place in the city.
The petition said: “Whilst history shouldn’t be forgotten, these people who benefited from the enslavement of individuals do not deserve the honour of a statue. This should be reserved for those who bring about positive change and who fight for peace, equality and social unity”.
