London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Sunday, Aug 24, 2025

Toppled Edward Colston statue, complete with ‘preserved graffiti’, is on display in a Bristol museum... alongside BLM signs

Toppled Edward Colston statue, complete with ‘preserved graffiti’, is on display in a Bristol museum... alongside BLM signs

Bristol’s statue of slave trader Edward Colston, pulled down by Black Lives Matter (BLM) activists last year, has re-emerged as a local museum exhibit, with visitors asked to share what they think should become of the sculpture.

The statue was targeted by protesters during a large demonstration in the city on June 7, 2020. After being toppled, it was graffitied and then thrown into a nearby harbour. It was pulled out of the water several days later by Bristol City Council and put into storage. The brazen act of vandalism made headlines amid worldwide protests sparked by the death of George Floyd at the hands of the Minneapolis Police Department.

Colston left money to various charitable causes after his death in 1721, but his involvement in the transatlantic slave trade has prompted activists to demand that Bristol be scrubbed of both his name and his likeness.

After months of preservation work (while being careful not to wash away the graffiti), the statue is finally being reintroduced to the public – as a museum exhibit. Bristol’s M Shed museum will display the sculpture alongside a curated selection of placards from the protest that led to its demise. Due to damage it sustained, the statue is unable to stand upright, and, instead, is being showcased lying on its back. Orange graffiti reading “BLM” is still visible on the statue’s face, while its leg is tagged in blue paint with “Prick.”


The museum has also preserved numerous signs with slogans such as “Racism is a pandemic too” and “I can’t breathe.”

The exhibition, titled ‘The Colston Statue: What next?’, invites members of the public to fill out a survey to help determine the future of the statue. Possible options include completely removing it from public view, including it in an exhibition about the transatlantic slave trade, or restoring it to its original state.

The initiative was spearheaded by the We Are Bristol History Commission, which was established in response to the Colston incident. The temporary display is designed to be the “start of a conversation,” the museum explained.

The statue was just one of numerous monuments that were targeted by BLM protesters in cities across the world during months of anti-racism demonstrations, many of which descended into violence. The vandalism sparked fierce debate in the UK and abroad about whether removing statues of “problematic” figures from the past was an attack on shared culture and history.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner Purchases Third Property Amid Housing Tax Reforms Debate
HSBC Switzerland Ends Relationships with Over 1,000 Clients from Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Qatar, and Egypt
Sharia Law Made Legally Binding in Austria Despite Warnings Over 'Incompatible' Values
Italian Facebook Group Sharing Intimate Images Without Consent Shut Down Amid Police Investigation
Dutch Foreign Minister Resigns Amid Deadlock Over Israel Sanctions
Trump and Allies Send Messages of Support to Ukraine on Independence Day Amid Ongoing Conflict
China Reels as Telegram Chat Group Shares Hidden-Camera Footage of Women and Children
Sam Nicoresti becomes first transgender comedian to win Edinburgh Comedy Award
Builders uncover historic human remains in Lancashire house renovation
Australia Wants to Tax Your Empty Bedrooms
MotoGP Cameraman Narrowly Avoids Pedro Acosta Crash at Hungarian Grand Prix
FBI Investigates John Bolton Over Classified Documents in High-Profile Raids
Report reveals OpenAI pitched national ChatGPT Plus subscription to UK ministers
Labour set to freeze income tax thresholds in long-term 'stealth' tax raid
Coca‑Cola explores sale of Costa coffee chain
Trial hears dog walker was chased and fatally stabbed by trio
Restaurateur resigns from government hospitality council over tax criticism
Spanish City funfair shut after serious ride injury
Suspected arson at Ilford restaurant leaves three in critical condition
Tottenham beat Manchester City to go top of Premier League
Bank holiday heatwave to hit 30°C before remnants of Hurricane Erin arrive
UK to deploy immigration advisers to West Africa to block fake visas
Nurse who raped woman continued working for a year despite police alert
Drought forces closures of England’s canal routes, canceling boat holidays
Sweet tooth scents: food-inspired perfumes surge as weight-loss drugs suppress appetites
Experts warn Britain dangerously reliant on imported food
Family of Notting Hill Carnival murder victim call event unmanageable
Bunkers, Billions and Apocalypse: The Secret Compounds of Zuckerberg and the Tech Giants
Ukraine Declares De Facto War on Hungary and Slovakia with Terror Drone Strikes on Their Gas Lifeline
Animated K-pop Musical ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Becomes Netflix’s Most-Watched Original Animated Film
New York Appeals Court Voids Nearly $500 Million Civil Fraud Penalty Against Trump While Upholding Fraud Liability
Elon Musk tweeted, “Europe is dying”
Far-Right Activist Convicted of Incitement Changes Gender and Demands: "Send Me to a Women’s Prison" | The Storm in Germany
Hungary Criticizes Ukraine: "Violating Our Sovereignty"
Will this be the first country to return to negative interest rates?
Child-free hotels spark controversy
North Korea is where this 95-year-old wants to die. South Korea won’t let him go. Is this our ally or a human rights enemy?
Hong Kong Launches Regulatory Regime and Trials for HKD-Backed Stablecoins
China rehearses September 3 Victory Day parade as imagery points to ‘loyal wingman’ FH-97 family presence
Trump Called Viktor Orbán: "Why Are You Using the Veto"
Horror in the Skies: Plane Engine Exploded, Passengers Sent Farewell Messages
MSNBC Rebrands as MS NOW Amid Comcast’s Cable Spin-Off
AI in Policing: Draft One Helps Speed Up Reports but Raises Legal and Ethical Concerns
Shame in Norway: Crown Princess’s Son Accused of Four Rapes
Apple Begins Simultaneous iPhone 17 Production in India and China
A Robot to Give Birth: The Chinese Announcement That Shakes the World
Finnish MP Dies by Suicide in Parliament Building
Outrage in the Tennis World After Jannik Sinner’s Withdrawal Storm
William and Kate Are Moving House – and the New Neighbors Were Evicted
Class Action Lawsuit Against Volkswagen: Steering Wheel Switches Cause Accidents
×