Skip to content 
Search

Latest Stories

Protesters acquitted over pulling down of slave trader statue

THREE men and a woman were cleared on Wednesday (5) of causing criminal damage for helping to pull down a statue of a 17th century slave trade magnate and throw it into Bristol harbour in southwest England during the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests.

The bronze statue of Edward Colston, which had long been a source of division in the port city, was hauled down during an anti-racism demonstration, one of the many that swept the globe in the wake of the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis.


The incident prompted a national debate about memorials to figures linked to the slave trade or Britain's colonial past, with some government ministers arguing the action amounted to the censoring of history.

"We are ecstatic and stunned," said Rhian Graham, one of the four protesters cleared by a jury of criminal damage following a trial at Bristol Crown Court.

"We all have the ability to say how our space is decorated and who we venerate and who we celebrate and one thing that we know now is that Colston does not represent Bristol."

Graham was found not guilty along with Milo Ponsford, Jake Skuse and Sage Willoughby, all aged in their 20s or 30s.

They had argued the statue, erected in 1895, memorialised a man who prospered from the slave trade, caused offence to people in the city and had not been removed despite repeated campaigns.

Prosecutors said the case was about the rule of law and not politics, and that it was not Colston nor his slave links which were on trial.

Colston has long been a subject of debate in Bristol, where he donated lavishly to charitable causes, using the fortune he made investing in the slave-trading Royal African Company.

Years of calls by anti-racism campaigners for his statue to be removed had met with fierce local resistance, until protesters took matters into their own hands.

After a few days at the bottom of the harbour, the statue was retrieved by city authorities and put into storage. It has since been exhibited in a museum in the city while its long-term future is considered.

The incident exemplified disagreement on whether such memorials glorified some of the darkest chapters of the nation's past or simply reflected its imperial history.

Prime minister Boris Johnson said last year the country should not attempt to rewrite the past or "photoshop" its cultural landscape by hauling down monuments to certain historical figures.

(Reuters)

More For You

Air India flight crash
Air India's Boeing 787-8 aircraft, operating flight AI-171 to London Gatwick, crashed into a medical hostel complex shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad on June 12.
Getty Images

Air India crash probe finds fuel to engines was cut off before impact

Highlights

 
     
  • Fuel to both engines of the Air India flight was cut off seconds before the crash
  •  
  • A pilot was heard questioning the other over the cut-off; both denied initiating it.
  •  
  • The Dreamliner crashed shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad, killing 260 people.
  •  
  • Investigators are focusing on fuel switch movement; full analysis may take months.

FUEL control switches to both engines of the Air India flight that crashed shortly after takeoff were moved from the "run" to the "cutoff" position seconds before the crash, according to a preliminary investigation report released early Saturday.

Keep ReadingShow less
Chinese vessel tracked in Bay of Bengal after disabling identification system

The Indian Navy and Coast Guard have consistently reported Chinese research vessel presence. (Representational image: Getty Images)

Chinese vessel tracked in Bay of Bengal after disabling identification system

A Chinese research vessel was detected operating in the Bay of Bengal near Indian waters while attempting to conceal its presence by disabling its Automatic Identification System (AIS), according to a report by The Economic Times, citing French maritime intelligence firm Unseenlabs.

The French company conducted a 16-day satellite-based survey tracking ships through radio frequency emissions. It monitored 1,897 vessels, with 9.6 per cent showing no AIS activity, indicating attempts to avoid detection. The survey raised concerns amid increased Chinese activity in the region.

Keep ReadingShow less
Asian-inspired garden earns
five awards at Hampton Court

(From left) Malcolm Anderson (RHS, head of sustainability) Clare Matterson (RHS director general), Lorraine Bishton (Subaru UK and Ireland, managing director) Andrew Ball (director, Big Fish Landscapes) Mike McMahon and Jewlsy Mathews with the medals

Asian-inspired garden earns five awards at Hampton Court

BRITISH Asians are being encouraged to take up gardening by a couple who have won a record five medals at the Royal Horticultural Society’s Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival.

“It’s a contemporary reimagining of a traditional walled garden, highlighting the British and Irish rainforests,” said Jewlsy Mathews, who was born in Britain of parents from Kerala, a southern Indian state known for its lush vegetation.

Keep ReadingShow less
uk weather

Amber heat health alerts have been issued across several regions of England

iStock

England faces widespread heat alerts and hosepipe bans amid rising temperatures

Highlights:

  • Amber heat health alerts in place for large parts of England
  • Hosepipe bans announced in Yorkshire, Kent and Sussex
  • Temperatures could reach 33°C over the weekend
  • Health risks rise, especially for elderly and vulnerable groups

Heat warnings in effect as UK braces for another hot weekend

Amber heat health alerts have been issued across several regions of England, with temperatures expected to climb to 33°C in some areas over the weekend. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) activated the warning at 12 pm on Friday, with it set to remain in place until 9 am on Monday.

The alerts cover the East Midlands, West Midlands, south-east, south-west, East of England, and London. Additional yellow alerts were issued for the north-east, north-west, and Yorkshire and the Humber, starting from midday Friday.

Keep ReadingShow less
Essex ladybird invasion

One of the largest gatherings was filmed on a beach at Point Clear

Dee-anne Markiewicz / SWNS

Swarms of ladybirds invade Essex coastline amid soaring temperatures

Highlights:

  • Ladybird swarms reported across Essex and Suffolk coastal towns
  • Hot weather likely driving the sudden surge in population
  • Sightings include Point Clear, Shoebury, Clacton and Felixstowe
  • Similar outbreaks occurred in 1976 during another hot UK summer

Sudden surge in ladybird numbers across the southeast

Millions of ladybirds have been spotted swarming towns and villages along the Essex coast, with similar sightings stretching into Suffolk. Residents have reported unusually high numbers of the red and black-spotted insects, particularly near coastal areas, with the recent hot weather believed to be a major contributing factor.

One of the largest gatherings was filmed on a beach at Point Clear, a village near St Osyth in Essex, where the insects could be seen piling on top of each other on driftwood and plants.

Keep ReadingShow less