News 7 June 2020
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Black Lives Matter protesters pulled down a statue of a notorious slave trader

7 June 2020
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Black Lives Matter protesters in Bristol achieved a symbolic victory as they tore down a notoriously racist statue.

The statue of Edward Colston, a 17th-century slave trader, was pulled down with a rope by protesters and tossed into the sea.

It is estimated that over 5,000 people attended this Bristol protest.

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The statue of former slave owner Edward Colston, is toppled by protesters in Bristol. ✊

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Colson was a merchant for the Royal African Company which maintained a monopoly in the West African Slave trade.

Colston aided the transportation of over 84,000 African men, women and children to the Americas as slaves during his time.

11,000 people signed a petition to have the statue taken down prior to this but their pleas were ignored.

Today follows a weekend of protests across the UK to demand changes to the systemic and institutionally racist structures both here in the UK and in the US that has led to the loss of countless black lives.