The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan has called for the removal of all slave trader statues in the capital after Black Lives Matter protesters pulled down the statue of slave merchant Edward Colston in Bristol and hurled it in the city’s harbour.
Khan said he hopes the statues of slave traders are removed and he promised to personally “review and improve” the diversity of the capital’s landmarks.
This comes as Black Lives Matter protesters targeted the destruction of at least 30 monuments across the UK starting with one of Cecil Rhodes in Oxford tonight. Thousands have planned to gather for a protest today at 5 pm during which they plan to remove a statue of British imperialist Cecil Rhodes outside Oriel College in Oxford
The Mayor of London has launched his own Commission for Diversity in the Public Realm after Black Lives Matter protesters pulled down the monument to Edward Colston in Bristol.
Mayor Khan today said he wouldn’t “pre-empt” the commission’s findings on the suitability of London’s street names, murals, statues and memorials, but admitted he would like any statues of slave traders removed in London and to build more statues of “people of colour, black people, women, those from the LGBT community.”