- I think it says something like victory lord and peace creator on the statue and similar glittering reasoning. This person was something else too, he was the person who took Sweden back into the transatlantic slave trade. Then we should also have a discussion about the appropriateness of immortalizing him in this way in the cityscape, says Kitimbwa Sabuni, chairman of the Afro-Swedes' National Federation.
Not any history booksHe thinks that the statue protests have given new votes a place in the public space debate. A discussion that must also be held in Sweden.
- What people need to learn is that statues are not history books in the room, but statues travel different ideological projects. It's never pure history. These projects change over time and if we have an anti-racist project today, would we not revise the cityscape after that ?, says Kitimbwa Sabuni.
Create more knowledgeCatharina Nolin is Professor of Art Science. She is hesitant to remove statues.
- You can see it in different ways. It is clear that Gustav III was involved in the oppression of blacks when he bought the colony of Sankt-Barthélemy in the Caribbean. But he stands for much else also regarding the Swedish language. I'm not that much to remove, rather add. To try to create more knowledge about the statues, and then also the difficult knowledge, says Catharina Nolin.
"We are still affected today"When Prime Minister Stefan Löfven was asked this week by Expressen, he was clear that he did not want to remove statues in Sweden. One position that Kitimbwa Sabuni believes is to end a discussion that has barely begun.
- Many of us who are Swedes today have been affected by this. And we are still affected today. These crimes have morally relevant traces in our time. It's not old history. Our prime minister should be open so that we can have a conversation about these statues at least.