Black Lives Matter: Gandhi statue protected as London set for tense weekend
The London mayor’s office confirmed on Friday evening that Gandhi’s statue has been “temporarily covered for its protection”, as mayor Sadiq Khan and others appealed to people to stay away from the weekend demonstrations, which also pose challenges in the context of coronavirus.
Extreme far-right groups are planning counter-protests over the weekend in London when large numbers of Black Lives Matter activists are expected to stage another demonstration, prompting officials to protect statues of Mahatma Gandhi and Winston Churchill.
The London mayor’s office confirmed on Friday evening that Gandhi’s statue has been “temporarily covered for its protection”, as mayor Sadiq Khan and others appealed to people to stay away from the weekend demonstrations, which also pose challenges in the context of coronavirus.
Khan said: “I’m extremely concerned that further protests in central London not only risk spreading Covid-19, but could lead to disorder, vandalism and violence. Extreme far-right groups who advocate hatred and division are planning counter-protests, which means that the risk of disorder is high”.
“Be in no doubt these counter-protests are there to provoke violence, and their only goal is to distract and hijack this important issue. Staying home and ignoring them is the best response this weekend”, he added.
Last Sunday witnessed the first major BLM demonstration in London, when the statues of Churchill and Gandhi were targeted, among others. In Bristol, the statue of slave trader Edward Colston was pulled down and thrown into the Avon river.
A series of tweets, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Friday that it is “absurd and shameful” that Churchill’s statue had been targeted, and appealed to people not to join the weekend protests.
Johnson, who wrote a biography of Churchill in 2014, added: “We cannot now try to edit or censor our past. We cannot pretend to have a different history. The statues in our cities and towns were put up by previous generations”.
“They had different perspectives, different understandings or rights and wrongs. But those statues teach us about our past, with all its faults. To tear them down would be to lie about our history, and impoverish the education of generations to come”.
The Leicester City Council is reviewing all street names, statues and monuments in the city with a large population of Indian origin. A petition for the removal of Gandhi’s statue there enlisted over 5,000 signatures by Friday evening.
Keith Vaz, who was Leicester East MP for 33 years, said: “This is a dreadful petition that seeks to divide communities in Leicester and in the country. Those behind it know full well the consequences of what they are asking for. Gandhi’s statues in Leicester and London are an inspiration for peace, harmony and non-violence”.
“He was one of the greatest peacemakers in history. If this is not withdrawn I will certainly refer it to the police to consider whether it incites racial hatred. We have come a long way in 33 years on racial equality but clearly there is a long way to go. If there is any attempt to remove it I will be there to defend it personally.”