Cecil Rhodes protest – live: Oxford students demand removal of colonialist’s statue, as Labour councils to review public monuments
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Hundreds of anti-racism protesters have converged upon Oxford University seeking the removal of white supremacist Cecil Rhodes' statue, staging a sit-in on the city's high street and taking the knee for eight minutes and 46 seconds in honour of George Floyd.
In the wake of slave trader Edward Colston's statue's toppling in Bristol, Oxford City Council leader has invited Oriel College to make a planning request to remove the grade II listed effigy, with thousands of people having signed two petitions calling for its removal in recent days.
In a statement, the college said that "we continue to debate and discuss the issues raised by the presence on our site of examples of contested heritage relating to Cecil Rhodes", insisting it is "determined to build a more equal and inclusive community and society".
But with protesters referencing reports that the college refused to remove the statue in 2016 over fears that donors could withdraw funding, student Waqas Mirza said: "We look up to be inspired, we look up for gods and you give us this murderer ... Maybe you should think more wisely about where your donations come from."
Sadiq Khan has unveiled a commission to review all of the London’s statues, ahead of an announcement that all Labour councils across England and Wales will start work with their communities to review “the appropriateness” of monuments and statues in their areas.
It comes after Downing Street warned anyone caught toppling a monument would face "the full force of the law", with home secretary Priti Patel branding the Bristol action an “utterly disgraceful” case of “sheer vandalism and disorder”.
Hello, and welcome to The Independent's live coverage of today's anti-racism protests in the UK.
Thousands sign petition calling for Cecil Rhodes statue removal
A majority of members of Oxford City Council have signed a letter urging Oxford University to immediately remove the statue of white imperialist Cecil Rhodes, Vincent Wood reports.
Twenty-six councillors have signed a letter saying Oriel College’s monument – an early architect of South African apartheid – was not compatible with the city’s “commitment to anti-racism”.
Campaigners have reignited the campaign to remove the statue amid increasing calls to remove the legacy of racism and colonialism from institutions.
The statue of Rhodes, who argued of the supremacy of the Anglo-Saxon master race, has remained a point of contention outside the college since 2015 when a campaign demanded the figure fall from its position overlooking Oxford’s High Street.
At the time the university refused to remove the sculpture - instead opting to add “a clear historical context to explain why it is there”.
A petition signed by thousands of activists said: “We are reigniting the calls for the statue to be removed, as soon as possible. As long as the statue stands the University is only alienating those of whom Rhodes' beliefs have persecuted and oppressed to this very day”.
Protesters hold sit-in on Oxford High Street and mourn George Floyd
Here are some the scenes in Oxford today, with demonstrators blocking the city's high street and taking the knee to mourn George Floyd, whose funeral is being held today in Houston.
Oxford crowds told they are showing 'solidarity with humanity'
Ndjodi Ndeunyema, one of the protest organisers, told the crowd of about 1,000 people they were showing "solidarity with humanity".
"We are here to shame the college that seeks to venerate and glorify someone who is not worthy of glorification or veneration," he said.
"We demand an official and public acknowledgement of the colonial violence on which Oriel is built. We demand the immediate removal of the statue of Cecil Rhodes."
Mr Ndeunyema added: "People will constantly remind you of your shameful history that you refuse to confront."
Sadiq Khan commissions review of all London monuments to ensure they reflect city’s diversity
The London mayor said the new Commission for Diversity in the Public Realm will focus on “increasing representation among Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (Bame) communities, women, the LGBT+ community and disability groups”, Kate Ng reports.
He also said a national slavery memorial and a national Sikh war memorial should be erected in London.
Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Mr Khan said: “I’m all in favour of our city reflecting the values that we have and also the diversity of our city – more murals, more blue plaques, more statues of people that reflect that side to you.
“For example, I think there should be in London a national slavery memorial, a national Sikh memorial, I think we should be commemorating great black Britons from Stephen Lawrence to many others.”
Labour councils across England and Wales to begin reviewing monuments
The Local Government Association's Labour group has announced it has urged Labour council leaders to work with their communities to review "the appropriateness" of monuments and statues in their areas.
Labour’s shadow communities secretary, Steve Reed, said: “We welcome the decision by Labour councils to listen to their local communities to make sure monuments and statues on public land are appropriate and represent local people’s values.”
The Press Association has the following statement from Oriel College, which The Independent currently cannot access - an issue reported by others on social media.
"Oriel College abhors racism and discrimination in all its forms. The governing body are deeply committed to equality within our community at Oriel, the University of Oxford and the wider world.
"As an academic institution, we aim to fight prejudice and champion equal opportunities for everyone regardless of race, gender, sexuality or faith. We believe black lives matter and support the right to peaceful protest. The power of education is a catalyst for equality and inclusiveness."
It continues: "We understand that we are, and we want to be, a part of the public conversation about the relationship between the study of history, public commemoration, social justice and educational equality.
"As a college, we continue to debate and discuss the issues raised by the presence on our site of examples of contested heritage relating to Cecil Rhodes.
"Speaking out against injustice and discrimination is vital and we are committed to doing so. We will continue to examine our practices and strive to improve them to ensure that Oriel is open to students and staff of all backgrounds, and we are determined to build a more equal and inclusive community and society."
Oxford protest speaker tells university to 'think more wisely about where your donations come from'
Waqas Mirza, an Oxford student and a host of the Uncomfortable Oxford walking tour, which highlights the "legacy of inequality" in the city, told demonstrators: "We look up to be inspired, we look up for gods and you give us this murderer."
Several protesters have referenced reports that Oriel College refused to remove the statue in 2016 due to fears that donors could withdraw £100m of funding.
Mr Mirza added: "Maybe you should think more wisely about where your donations come from ... They say we don't have enough time to take all the statues down, we have all the time in the world and this is just the beginning."
Here's our report from 2016:
Statue of slave owner Robert Milligan removed in London
The statue of Mr Milligan, a noted West Indian merchant, slaveholder and founder of London's global trade hub, West India Docks, is being removed from its position outside the Museum of London Docklands.
The Canal and River Trust (CRT), which owns the land where the statue is located at West India Quay, had earlier today agreed to remove it following a petition launched by Tower Hamlets Labour councillor Ehtasham Haque.
The CRT statement read: "We recognise the wishes of the local community concerning the statue of Robert Milligan at London Docklands and are committed to working with London Borough of Tower Hamlets, the Museum of London Docklands and partners at Canary Wharf to organise its safe removal as soon as possible."
Reuters has this live footage of its removal:
Voices: Statues are a mark of honour. Like Edward Colston, Cecil Rhodes and Oliver Cromwell have to go
"There’s a good reason why there will probably never be a public statue of Margaret Thatcher in London – and it's also why the figure of Bristol's slave trader should be fished out of the water and found more suitable home," writes our associate editor Sean O'Grady.
He adds: "I would be in favour of fishing Colston out of his watery grave and rehoming him, his recent coat of blood-red paint included, as one of the exhibits in a new British park devoted to significant yet questionable figures of our morally problematic past.
"In the former Soviet states, something similar has been achieved to great success. It allows the memory of collective history, without the daily reminder of the pain and suffering for ordinary citizens."
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