Cecil Rhodes protest – live: Oxford students demand removal of colonialist’s statue, as Labour councils to review public monuments

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Plaque dedicated to slaves taken from their homes replaces Colston statue

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”.

Key Points

• Protesters hold 'sit-in' in Oxford, insisting 'Rhodes must fall'
• Labour announces review into all of its council's monuments
• Colston statue replaced with plaque dedicated to slaves

[9 June 2020 19:28 · Andy Gregory]

Here are the scenes from earlier, with chants of "take it down" from the crowds.

Police officers were reported to be standing on the steps of the college, while mounted officers have also been deployed to the protest.

Activist and journalist George Monbiot - a former Oxford student - is at the protests, which he describes as "history in the making".

[9 June 2020 19:40 · Andy Gregory]

Our correspondent Vincent Wood is in Oxford this evening. Here's an extract from his report:

 Ndjodi Ndeunyema, an Oxford student who is among the event’s organisers, said action in Bristol to remove the Colston statue had allowed them to “reinvigorate that conversation” that began in 2015.

“Many of the demands that we’ll present at this protest have not been satisfied.” he told The Independent. “They’ve fallen on deaf ears and it is on us to communicate clearly to the university and to the college that yes, you can kick this into the long grass but it won’t go away. Yes students will move on, but students will continue to object to the institutional practices that are symbolised by objectionable iconography such as that of Cecil Rhodes.”

Referring to the inscription beneath Rhodes describing him as a “magnificent benefactor”, he added: “There is nothing magnificent about someone who has overseen the genocide and land expropriation regime that we’ve seen in Southern Africa in particular in the beginning of the 20th century”.

Read the full report here:

[9 June 2020 20:01 · Andy Gregory]

Here are some of the most striking images so far:

Placards in reference to the Black Lives Matter campaign are seen placed in the gates to Oriel College (REUTERS/Hannah McKay) 

Police officers are seen on the roof of Oriel College above the statue of Cecil Rhodes (REUTERS/Hannah McKay)

Steve Parsons/PA Wire

REUTERS/Eddie Keogh

Christopher Furlong/Getty Images

[9 June 2020 20:06 · Andy Gregory]

"We will beg no more. We want it down. We are not asking you, we are telling you that this does not represent Oxford," says one speaker, who references George Floyd's killing. 

[9 June 2020 20:13 · Andy Gregory]

Police officer takes the knee amid cheers from remaining protesters

The protests outside Oriel College in Oxford have ended with people leaving their signs on the outside of the building.

Steve Parsons/PA WireSome demonstrators remained and were playing music in the street, and a police officer was seen "taking a knee" and briefly kneeling in the crowd, which was met with cheers by the remaining protesters.

[9 June 2020 20:19 · Andy Gregory]

Coventry South MP Zarah Sultana has tweeted in support of the protests, referencing reports that calls to remove the statue in 2015 were not taken up by the university amid fears donors could pull tens of millions of pounds in funding.

[9 June 2020 20:38 · Andy Gregory]

That's it for today's liveblog, thanks for following here.