Death of George Floyd: debate in the UK around symbols of the colonialist past

Demonstration for the removal of a statue of Cecil Rhodes outside Oriel College in Oxford, June 9, 2020. REUTERS / Eddie Keogh

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The wave of anger sparked by the death of George Floyd in the USA has revived the debate in the United Kingdom around the symbols of the colonialist past of the country. Tuesday evening a rally was held in Oxford against the maintenance of a statue of Cecil Rhodes, British colonizer of the nineteenth century.

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With our correspondent in London, Muriel Delcroix

"Take it off!" Thousands of activists came to demand Tuesday evening the demise of the statue of Cecil Rhodes which adorns the facade of one of the faculties of Oxford. All believe that the businessman, who drew his fortune from the diamond mines in South Africa in the 19th century, represents white supremacy and is incompatible with the anti-racist values ​​of Oxford in 2020. Students had already called to make the statue disappear five years ago, without success.

But the outrage over the death of George Floyd has just changed the situation. After the spectacular debunking of the statue of a slave trader in Bristol on Sunday, calls are increasing in the country to rid British cities of figures symbolizing its imperialist past.

In Edinburgh and Cardiff, activists now have the support of local elected officials to store the statues of notable colonialists at the museum. In London in the Docklands district, the statue of a slave owner has just been dismantled. And others could follow because the mayor of the capital Sadiq Khan has just appointed a commission to review the names of streets and statues that pay tribute to controversial historical figures.

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  • United Kingdom
  • Racism

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