People observe the base of the statue of Edward Colston, after protesters pulled it down and pushed it into the docks, following the death of George Floyd in US police custody, in Bristol, Britain, on June 8, 2020. (Photo by Reuters)

The waterways of Bristol are the new home of the statue of Edward Colston after it was removed by Black Lives Matter protesters on Sunday.

Unlike the tens of thousands of enslaved Africans taken to England from their homelands years before, Colston’s statue had considerably less to travel as it made its way to its new watery grave.

Set against the backdrop of days of global protests sparked by the murder of George Floyd in the United States, the removal of Colston’s memorial sparked a damning comment from British Home Secretary Priti Patel.

Anti-racism campaigners have talked of the pain that Colston’s memorial has caused, a bitter ode to the city of Bristol and the wider community for over 120 years, a reminder that Britain’s relationship with empire, colonialism, and modern racism is still a complicated and often painful one.

Whilst the latest round of demonstrations was sparked by the death of a 46-year-old black man 4,000 miles away, Britain’s ethnic minority communities can reel off their own list of those who have died after coming in contact with the British state and the wider, systemic issues that underpin inequality.

The removal of Edward Colston’s statue in Bristol sparked fears the monument to former PM Winston Churchill could face a similar fate after it was targeted as a symbol of white supremacy and racism by some protesters. Figures on the right have pledged to defend the statue with their lives, highlighting the strength of feeling and the gulf that still exists between opposing camps.

The furor surrounding graffiti being sprayed on the statue of Winston Churchill gives a small glimpse into the complicated relationship the UK still has in dealing with its colonial legacy. And it is only until this legacy can be addressed, some critics argue, that there be real hope of genuine healing and understanding.

#Bristol statue of Edward Colston has been pulled down and pushed into the harbour during the #BlackLivesMattter march pic.twitter.com/ME1yxAhw7G

— BBC Radio Bristol (@bbcrb) June 7, 2020

SOURCE: PRESS TV