Current Affairs The Landmarks of Slavery;

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Activists have drawn up a list of statues they want to see removed as anti-racism protests continue across the UK.

Monuments of former prime ministers such as William Gladstone and Sir Robert Peel, as well as English sea captains James Cook and Sir Francis Drake, are listed as targets.

They feature on a website called "Topple the Racists", to which the public can add their suggestions - and an interactive map gives the locations as well as a description of each memorial.

The list comes as business minister Nadhim Zahawi told Sky News that "any slave trader should not have a statue".

He added: "I wouldn't be breaking the law to take statues down, it should be done through our democratic process.

"This country is a democracy, a proud democracy and it should be up to local people to decide what they want to do with that statue and any other statue."

The list includes demands for the renaming of pubs and institutions linked to Britain's colonial past, and streets named after East India company senior figures - as well as the removal of a statue of Robert Clive (aka Clive of India), who spearheaded the trading enterprise.

The site reads: "We believe these statues and other memorials to slave-owners and colonialists need to be removed so that Britain can finally face the truth about its past - and how it shapes our present."

Demonstrations supporting the Black Lives Matter movement have been taking place across the UK since the death of George Floyd during his arrest by a white police officer in the US two weeks ago.

There have since been increasing demands to remove the legacy of racism and colonialism from institutions, including monuments of controversial historical figures.

Some of the monuments which feature on the list have already been taken down.

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The figure of Robert Milligan was taken down from its plinth at West India Quay in the Docklands on Tuesday - two days after campaigners tore down a statue of a slave trader Edward Colston in Bristol.

The protests have also reignited a campaign for a statue of British imperialist Cecil Rhodes to be removed from an Oxford University college.

A statue of coloniser Christopher Columbus in London's Belgravia is another target on the hit list.

Campaigners say they also want to see Beckford School in North London, which is named after slave owner William Beckford, renamed.

Guy's Hospital near London Bridge is also named, which was founded in 1721 by Sir Thomas Guy, who made his fortune through investment in the South Sea Company, whose main purpose was to sell slaves to the Spanish Colonies.

A petition has also been launched to rename The Elihu Yale, a Wetherspoons pub in Wrexham, Wales, named after a slave trader and official for the East India Company in Madras.

Several monuments have also been vandalised during the protests, including a statue of Queen Victoria in Woodhouse Moor, Leeds, and that of former prime minister Winston Churchill in London's Parliament Square.

It comes as Labour councils across England and Wales pledged to begin reviewing such monuments in their areas.

It follows a similar decision by the mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, after his office announced that the newly-formed Commission for Diversity in the Public Realm will review landmarks in the capital - including murals, street art, street names, statues and other memorials.

I think the protesters are missing a trick here. They can have a similar impact without causing any destruction.

Target the statues, fine, but dress them in something relevant to the cause etc.

I think stuff like the bloke in Glasgow (I think) who put up alternative street names next to street signs named after slave traders etc whilst leaving the original signs up sends just as powerful a message.

That's the problem with society today though, it seems to be all or nothing.
 
Do you still advocate the army on the streets as a deterrent against small groups hanging around on beaches, in the streets, in the fields and hills? '"We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender" Or is it for the army to be used selectively?

Do I advocate the army defending the nation against these unelected authoritarians committing acts of violence & choosing what parts of history and society they wish to airbrush- 100%
 
I think the protesters are missing a trick here. They can have a similar impact without causing any destruction.

Target the statues, fine, but dress them in something relevant to the cause etc.

I think stuff like the bloke in Glasgow (I think) who put up alternative street names next to street signs named after slave traders etc whilst leaving the original signs up sends just as powerful a message.

That's the problem with society today though, it seems to be all or nothing.

The way to go for me mate is, on the plaque on these statues include said persons involvement in the slave trade etc.
 
I think the protesters are missing a trick here. They can have a similar impact without causing any destruction.

Target the statues, fine, but dress them in something relevant to the cause etc.

I think stuff like the bloke in Glasgow (I think) who put up alternative street names next to street signs named after slave traders etc whilst leaving the original signs up sends just as powerful a message.

That's the problem with society today though, it seems to be all or nothing.
Spare a though for the poor postmen.
#postmenhavefeelingstoo
 
Do I advocate the army defending the nation against these unelected authoritarians committing acts of violence & choosing what parts of history and society they wish to airbrush- 100%

I take that to mean you'll be in London over the weekend 'defending the nation'. With maybe some of these army people.




Army probe after Tommy Robinson filmed with trainee soldiers - YouTube
 
would they be Armed ?

Dont know mate - but something needs to be done.

We are in the middle of a pandemic, 40,000+ dead, we are one of the worst hit countries still and there are thousands of protesters marching around whilst a minority of authoritarians are blended in trying to destroy and airbrush parts of society.

If they want the statues gone - put it to a vote and let democracy work and if the majority of the country agree I'll happily see them toppled - but anyone who values democracy can not support these authoritarians.
 
These statues have been here for years, why do this now in a pandemic? I cant go to work or see my family.

You know why now (unless you have been living under a rock these past few months)

Totally get you not being happy with it but you know why now.
 
I take that to mean you'll be in London over the weekend 'defending the nation'. With maybe some of these army people.




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i think thats unfair to be honest .

they were recruits , at least one was discharged . There were some excellent no holds barred briefings after this which I think hit the media .

Typical of SYL, talks about supporting the forces and happily threw the kids under the bus . No surprise from the rat .
 
Exactly so I find left politicans & left leaning talking heads on twitter advocating for thousands of people to be lining the streets protesting in the middle of a global pandemic to be showing hypocrisy when they were moaning about small groups hanging around / not social distancing during lockdown.
Do you know what the real point is? Do you know what all this is about?

lack of leadership.

This country was so divided because of the politics of the day. They all look to divide and conquer. It’s how brexit started and how we got here.

We had covid 19 which was an opportunity to unite the country. We all got behind each other and stood together and acted as a collective as it was the right thing to do.

and this leadership completely ballsed it up. We had a government who completely ignored that and treated everyone with contempt.

now you’ve got a load of angry people who have been marginalised forever, stuck in doors for ages, venting fury at the fact that it’s one rule for one set of people and different rules for another.

what this country needs right now is leadership and look at what we’ve got.

we need someone to make people listen. To share both sides of the story. To explain and acknowledge how one side is oppressed. To show how the other side are scared because their way of life might change. Fact is that way of life needs to change. Because it’s for the better. It’s better for everyone if we tackle racism. Because tackling racism will help everyone.

but there is no one to tell them or to guide them. We could have been united but we aren’t.

because the government f***ed it up. George Floyd was the catalyst but what we are seeing is anger and resentment that has been building and building because we have lacked real leadership for so long.
 
Might give it a go, however I take my lead from other countries and their reflections who he had influence over. You cant get out primary school in the UK without the pure glorification of him. Soon lead you into trouble these days in the modern world.
You would have to go some way into a history education to have real essence of the man and what he stood for.
Its something that needs addressing if the UK is going to be this internationalist country that is free trading, our recent imperial past is of great resentment and far from forgotten or forgiven as some have us believe.


Well then a genuinely balanced account would be useful then.
 
Do you know what the real point is? Do you know what all this is about?

lack of leadership.

This country was so divided because of the politics of the day. They all look to divide and conquer. It’s how brexit started and how we got here.

We had covid 19 which was an opportunity to unite the country. We all got behind each other and stood together and acted as a collective as it was the right thing to do.

and this leadership completely ballsed it up. We had a government who completely ignored that and treated everyone with contempt.

now you’ve got a load of angry people who have been marginalised forever, stuck in doors for ages, venting fury at the fact that it’s one rule for one set of people and different rules for another.

what this country needs right now is leadership and look at what we’ve got.

we need someone to make people listen. To share both sides of the story. To explain and acknowledge how one side is oppressed. To show how the otherwise are scared because their way of life might change. Fact is that way of life needs to change. Because it’s for the better. It’s better for everyone if we tackle racism. Because tackling racism will help everyone.

but there is no one to tell them or to guide them. We could have been united but we aren’t.

because the government f***ed it up. George Floyd was the catalyst but what we are seeing is anger and resentment that has been building and building because we have lacked real leadership for so long.

I do agree a part of it is just anger - but why hide behind the pretence of "fighting racism".

For alot of people mate its simply opportunism to cause destruction and for the authoritarians its a chance to airbrush parts of history they deem fit whilst doing so hiding behind the murder of a bloke in another country.

Its abhorrent - the whole message of black lives matter has been lost.
 
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