Protesters threw a statue of slave trader Edward Colston into the port of Bristol, during a protest demonstration at the Black Lives Matter, in Bristol, England, on June 7. Ben Birchall / PA / AP
The statue of 17th-century slave trader Edward Colston will be taken and placed in the museum afterwards thrown into the river in Bristol, England, by protesters on Sunday.
On Wednesday, the Bristol City Council announced on Twitter: “The statue of Edward Colston will be taken from the harbor and exhibited, with a Black Lives Matter placard, in one of our museums. The decision on how the base will be used will be made democratically through consultation, “they said.
The council, on its website, says it has received many ideas for what should have happened to the remaining plinths, including other sculptures from famous Bristol people or revolving art projects.
The Colston statue will be displayed in the museum along with the Black Lives Matter placard from recent protests “so that the story of 300 years of slavery to today’s struggle for racial equality can be learned,” the council’s website said.
Bristol Mayor Marvin Rees also announced a new commission would be formed to examine the “true history” of the city.
“The events of the past few days really underline that as cities we all have very different understandings of our past. The only way we can work together in the future is to learn the truth from our beginning, embrace the facts, and share the story with others. This is why this commission is very important, “Rees said in a statement.
He said so far Bristol’s historical education had been “often flawed”.
Some background: On Sunday, protesters tied the bronze statue of Edward Colston with a rope before dropping it into cheers from the surrounding crowd. Demonstrators were later seen rolling the statue to the nearest port and throwing it into the Avon River.
Since the incident, which was welcomed by some and condemned by others for what they called “mass government,” there has been much debate about what to do with the statue.
The Colston statue has stood in the center of Bristol since 1895 but has become increasingly controversial, with petitions made to demand its removal.
