Live coverage and reaction from around the UK as Oxford demonstration against Cecil Rhodes statue expected this evening
12.05pm BST
A number of NHS trusts, which are responsible for hospitals and GPs’ practices, are holding a minute’s silence at midday in solidarity against racism:
In partnership with a number of Trusts nationwide, we will be holding a minute’s silence at 12noon today to call for a moment of solidarity against racism and to acknowledge the significant impact of Covid-19 on BAME communities. We invite you to join in this one-minute silence
I am standing with @uhbtrust at 12:00 noon to mark the funeral of George Floyd - USA. Companies across the UK will hold a minute’s silence. We also stand against racism & will remember all the victims of Covid-19, which has disproportionately affected the BAME community. @alrikka pic.twitter.com/zZUPksCERX
Led by our internal BME network, today we invited all our colleagues to observe a minute’s silence in remembrance of George Floyd and to show our ongoing commitment to tackling race inequalities and solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement.
11.55am BST
It turns out the justice questions in the Commons didn’t touch on the Black Lives Matter protests.
David Lammy, the shadow justice secretary, pressed the justice minister Lucy Frazer on the issue of children in young offender institutions across the UK.
11.29am BST
The Labour leader, Keir Starmer, says George Floyd’s death must be a “catalyst for change” and that his party stands with those opposing racism and oppression.
Today, at 11am, Parliament held a minute's silence in memory of George Floyd.
He must not become just another name. His death must be a catalyst for change.
The Labour Party stands with those opposing racism and oppression in the UK and across the world.
Wealth and power has been built on the exploitation of black people. In marking the life of George Floyd, we have to understand there can be no going back, no hiding, no excuses. Today we don't just say #BlackLivesMatter, we make sure that they matter. https://t.co/g8IkHHXYdF
11.28am BST
The justice secretary, Robert Buckland, will soon be taking questions in the House of Commons. He’s likely to repeat the stance set out yesterday by the home secretary, Priti Patel, vowing that a minority of protesters would “face justice” for their “thuggery”.
As Jack Blanchard pointed out in today’s Politico London Playbook, Buckland’s opposite number, the shadow justice secretary, David Lammy, is one of parliament’s most powerful voices on race issues so today’s hearing should be worth watching.
11.14am BST
Parliament has just held a minute’s silence in memory of George Floyd, whose death at the hands of a police officer in Minnesota triggered a wave of demonstrations on both sides of the Atlantic.
Four Commons select committees were sitting at 11am when they all fell silent.
Racism has no place in UK Parliament: we believe black lives matter.
Our parliamentary community stands with black friends and colleagues here and worldwide.
Both Speakers have confirmed that UK Parliament will hold a minute's silence at 11am in memory of George Floyd's death.
At 11am I will be taking part in a minute's silence in memory of George Floyd, standing in solidarity with his family and victims of racism worldwide. We all can and must do more to end racial discrimination and inequality around us #blacklivesmatter
At 11am there will be a minute's silence in Parliament to remember George Floyd.
This is a chance to remember him & all the victims of police brutality and racism. #BlackLivesMatter https://t.co/qSrfJmVBJS
At 11am I will be taking part in a minute's silence in memory of George Floyd, standing in solidarity with his family and victims of racism worldwide. We can and must do more to end racial oppression and social injustice.
11.02am BST
Hello. This is Josh Halliday taking over from Martin. Stay with us for all the day’s developments on the UK Black Lives Matter protests. And feel free to get in touch with tips or suggestions. I’m on:
Twitter: @JoshHalliday (DMs open)
10.57am BST
The last time Oriel College was under pressure to remove the Cecil Rhodes statue, they sought the opinions of former students. Some of those former students are now very much rallying around the idea that the statue must go.
A form is being circulated online for alumni to add their names to an open letter. Appealing for leaders at the college to think of the long-term impact on the institution, in part it reads:
We would be ashamed and embarrassed to be associated with a college that let the statue of Cecil Rhodes remain standing on its grounds. The Oriel students and alumni campaigning for the removal of the statue back in 2016 and today are the donors of tomorrow. The momentum is well and truly behind removing the statue. Every year it is still there, more and more alumni will think twice about making a donation; more and more students will refuse to be associated with an institution that is so out-of-step with their own beliefs.
Oriel can, and should be, a pioneer in healing the scars of Imperialism, and beginning the process of reconciliation this country so obviously needs. Oriel’s future depends on what you do next. We urge you to be on the right side of history this time.
10.30am BST
One common refrain you will have heard from politicians after the toppling of the Edward Colston statue in Bristol is that those who object to monuments that glorify colonial figures should use proper democratic channels to achieve change, rather than direct action.
Protesters in Bristol, however, will tell you that they had been trying to use the proper channels for years, without success.
Most of the controversy generated by the movement has revolved around the figure of Cecil Rhodes – but Rhodes himself is not really central to its aims. What is at issue is an ethos that gives space and even preeminence to such a figure, and hesitates to interrogate Rhodes’s legacy. That legacy does not merely include Rhodes’s financial bequests and their educational offshoots, like the Rhodes scholarships, but the vision embodied in his will, which called for: “the establishment, promotion and development of a Secret Society, the true aim and object whereof shall be for the extension of British rule throughout the world, the perfecting of a system of emigration from the United Kingdom, and of colonisation by British subjects of all lands where the means of livelihood are attainable by energy, labour and enterprise.
Related: The real meaning of Rhodes Must Fall | Amit Chaudhuri
10.19am BST
Dr Shola Mos-Shogbamimu was on Good Morning Britain this morning – put up against Nigel Farage to talk about racism and statues. She is definitely not mincing her words here in this tweet. It’s worth watching the segment as well.
Nigel Farage embodies everything that is institutionally racist about the United Kingdom. He lives in the wrong era and century. He should be relegated to the shameful past of British history and stay there. #GMB #BlackLivesMatter #EdwardColston #StatuesMustFall https://t.co/8YIvd96gbi
10.12am BST
Another former student at Oriel has just posted on social media in support of the Rhodes Must Fall campaign. Doug Buist, who is chair of the Lambeth Liberal Democrats and who works at The Globe theatre, has publish a letter he has written to the provost of Oriel college. He says that he “didn’t speak out a few years back when asked and this was wrong”.
I've written today to the Provost of Oriel College, of which I am an alumnus, to ask that the Rhodes statue is removed. I didn't speak out a few years back when asked and this was wrong. I assumed I lacked influence. #RhodesMustFall pic.twitter.com/gCXnvkVBw0
A few years ago, the college wrote to alumni of Oriel to ask our thoughts on the removal of the statue of Cecil Rhodes. At the time, I did not take the opportunity to offer an opinion. I understood the arguments, it certainly seems anachronous, and while the thoughts of its removal in no way concerned me, I simply considered it someone else’s decision to make. On reflection I think this attitude was probably a fault and an act of complicity in allowing the damage of Rhodes’ actions during his lifetime, and the century of their legacy to go unchallenged. I believe now is the time to remove the statue from the college and that is it is in all our interest that is done proactively and peacefully. Statues in situ do not teach us about history; their intent is to memorialise or magnify the reputations of those we admire. We cannot continue to glorify the acts or name of men like Rhodes.
9.57am BST
In London, Sadiq Khan is launching a review of statues with links to slavery. The mayor said that the city’s landmarks – including street names, the names of public buildings and plaques – will be reviewed by a commission.
Khan said: “It is an uncomfortable truth that our nation and city owes a large part of its wealth to its role in the slave trade and while this is reflected in our public realm, the contribution of many of our communities to life in our capital has been wilfully ignored. This cannot continue …
Related: Sadiq Khan orders review of all London statues for slavery links
9.48am BST
Also doing the media rounds this morning was former chief superintendent Dal Babu, who was appearing on Sky News and was highly critical of the home secretary. Priti Patel has suggested that police should have acted more firmly on Sunday when the statue of Edward Colston was being pulled down. “I think it’s very, very dangerous when politicians get involved and become armchair police officers,” he said.
"With all due respect, she's not a police officer."
Former MET Police Chief Superintendent Dal Babu disagrees with the Home Secretary that officers should have stepped in to stop protesters toppling a statue of #EdwardColston. MR#KayBurley #BlackLivesMatter #Colston pic.twitter.com/G1lGnTEgfq
There is a real skill in being able to determine what to do in a disorder situation. You have to make decisions very, very quickly. You have to think about the protection of police officers, you have to think about the general welfare of the crowd. So these are complex decisions. You have to make them within the law, and you have to use the resources that you have. Police officers invariably will be outnumbered by demonstrators, so you just end up with a huge amount of injuries to police officers, and disorder, and perhaps not even achieving your goal.
To arrest suspects would likely lead to injuries to suspects, injuries to officers, and people who were not involved in damaging property being thrown into a very violent confrontation with the police. Can you imagine scenes of police in Bristol fighting with protesters who were damaging the statue of a man who is reputed to have gathered much of his fortune through the slave trade?
9.41am BST
Former students of Oxford University have been campaigning for some time over the Cecil Rhodes statue. This week they have been urged to sign an open letter calling for the university to tackle systemic racism.
I was disappointed in the response to #Rhodesmustfall during my time at @UniofOxford. But it’s only part of the picture. There is opportunity to do more. I encourage Alumni to consider signing this Open Letter: Oxford University Must Tackle Systemic Racism https://t.co/GbmCi3NTp2
Despite multiple campaigns — including Rhodes Must Fall Oxford and Common Ground Oxford, and the tireless work of the Oxford African and Caribbean Society and Oxford Africa Society — the university has failed to address its institutional racism, its systemic racism across colleges, and the impact this has on the student body and city.
Come on, @orieloxford. I‘m an #orielensis and a historian, and I abhor the decision (including the votes of my fellow @orielalumni) to keep Rhodes as the High Street face of the College. Take him down. #RhodesMustFall
9.19am BST
Bristol city council has said it will act quickly to retrieve the statue of Edward Colston from the harbour.
The deputy mayor, Craig Cheney, acknowledged that if the council did not fish the statue out there was a risk someone else would take it away. “We do need to prioritise getting that out,” he said.
9.09am BST
Dr Shola Mos-Shogbamimu was on Good Morning Britain a little while ago discussing the removal of the Edward Colston statue. She said:
Properties can be replaced, black lives can’t. And it is indefensible for those who suggest otherwise. So what we saw there is an act of resistance and the hypocrisy is palpable. Think about the fact that when Saddam Hussein’s statute was destroyed, people in this country hailed it as an act of resistance. But here you have the destruction of the statue of a slave trader condemned as lawless.
'Properties can be replaced, black lives can't.'@SholaMos1 says the toppling of Edward Colston in Bristol was 'an act of resistance' as thousands call for the removal of controversial monuments and statues around the UK.
Watch GMB on the ITV Hub https://t.co/yyUUJmzswF pic.twitter.com/c0CnpSOvcg
8.45am BST
The toppling of the Edward Colston statue has inevitably led to a national debate about whether it was right to do it, and what should be done with the statue now, what should go into the space it has left behind.
If you haven’t seen this piece by Travis Alabanza about the statue, it really is worth a read. They talk about the racism they experienced growing up in Bristol, and what it felt like to watch the statue fall:
I watched the video of Edward Colston’s statue in my hometown of Bristol being pushed into Bristol harbour around 100 times last night … It felt different each time, I think. It fluctuated between the feeling of a sparkle of hope, to the satisfaction of watching a bully getting what they deserve at the end of a movie, to a feeling of pure disbelief.
Already, there is discussion about what must replace the statue. People are thinking about the Bristol Bus Boycott and one of the founders of that movement, Dr Paul Stephenson. Others are talking about replacing it with sculptures or artworks by local young Black organisers and impact makers. But I want fellow Bristolians to pause. I want us to keep the rubble on the ground and to have to walk past it. For it to stay there, dust and all, as a reminder to the promise that was made in that action.
8.30am BST
The anti-racism protests of the last few days in the UK may have been initially sparked by an incident of police violence in the US, but they have been attempting to address a broad range of issues impacting on BAME society in the UK.
This morning we’ve got an interview with Patrick Roach, head of the teaching union NASUWT. In it he speaks about his own experience of racism at school in the 1970s, and where he thinks things are failing to be improved.
If we want to have the best teaching profession, then it has to be inclusive, and it is not. This is another one of these national scandals that has to sit squarely with the government. Clear statutory duties in respect of equality apply to schools as employers but how, since the 2010 Equalities Act, has the government sought to reinforce it in schools? It hasn’t. Successive secretaries of state have removed equality from the accountability systems, and that includes race equality.
It has been very instructive to hear from BAME members the extent to which they felt that their schools are just paying lip service to race equality. I know it is not a popular thing to say and that it is often misunderstood, but institutional racism does exist and is an issue that has clearly got to be addressed, especially in the light of the handling of the coronavirus emergency.
8.14am BST
Overnight the Rhodes Must Fall campaign has been buoyed by 26 local councillors signing a letter in support of their protest. The letter reads:
We as City Councillors support the Rhodes Must Fall campaign in its demands for the removal of the Cecil Rhodes statue from Oxford’s High Street and endorse its wider campaign to decolonise Oxford University.
Cecil Rhodes was a white supremacist who believed in brutal colonial rule and subjugation across Africa and the world.
8.01am BST
Angus Robertson, the former deputy leader of the Scottish National party, has written for the Edinburgh Evening News about the extent to which monuments and buildings in Scotland’s capital are still named after figures linked to slavery.
As with the statue of Edward Colston in Bristol, Robertson is arguing that the process of change and making public acknowledgements of the truth behind these monuments is far too slow.
Prominent Edinburgh residents associated with slavery include Henry Dundas, whose statue stands in the middle of St Andrew’s Square. The Tory MP for Midlothian was instrumental in delaying the end of slavery. Also on the square is Dundas House, now the RBS Headquarters, which was owned by his relative. The statue in front is of the 4th Earl of Hopetoun who put down a two-year slave revolution in the West Indies. The time has come to properly acknowledge the role of Dundas and others. The campaign by Edinburgh academic Sir Geoff Palmer to reword the history of Dundas is long past time for action. Monuments don’t just reflect the past, they are in pride of place in our present, in our capital city.
7.50am BST
Oxford Brookes University’s Afro-Caribbean Society has published overnight a mini-essay on Instagram on why they are campaigning for the removal of the controversial Cecil Rhodes statue from Oriel College.
The issue of whether Rhodes, and other controversial figures like him, should ‘fall’ was never about whether or not he should be remembered, it’s about him being celebrated…Imperialism and the exploitation of Africa is one of the reasons why Britain is such a successful nation, and Cecil Rhodes played a part in that. He was responsible for stealing and exploiting land in the Rhodesia region, and he exploited black workers to sustain his empire…keeping him up is just a reminder to the people of colour, especially black and African people, that they are in a space that celebrates him.
Tomorrow at 5pm a protest organised by @rhodesmustfalloxford by the Rhodes statue, High street. As you swipe across you will read a mini essay written by:@et.allaissem. #blacklivesmatter
7.36am BST
If you haven’t seen it yet, Boris Johnson recorded a video message addressed to black and ethnic minority communities in the UK. In it he said that there was a “a cold reality” that these communities faced discrimination in employment, education, and in the application of the law. “I hear you,” he said. “I understand.”
However, he then went on to condemn protesters, saying they would face the “full force of the law” for acts of violence and vandalism, and he also admonished those who had not been obeying social distancing measures while out on protests. You can watch the clip here:
7.29am BST
Good morning. Yesterday Boris Johnson was insisting that despite understanding the “depth of emotion” of those protesting, Britain was not a racist country. Thousands have been on the streets in the last few days to disagree with that assessment, and there will be more protests today.
In Oxford, between 5pm and 7pm there is an organised demonstration from the #RhodesMustFall campaign to put more pressure on Oxford University to remove a statue honouring colonialist Cecil Rhodes.
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