Many Demolish 'Idols' Of Slavery And Discrimination In The World

Illustration (Source: WIkimedia Commons)

JAKARTA - Anti-racism demonstrators in Britain tore down a statue of the 17th century slave trader Edward Colston and threw it into the harbor. The message is clear: eliminate racial discrimination. Several other monuments in several countries that symbolize the hegemony of slavery have experienced the same thing. Anything? What is the story behind the monuments?

Citing the BBC, the ship belonging to Edward Colston is believed to have carried about 80,000 men, women and children from Africa to America. However, he instead became a respected and respected figure by the citizens of the City of Bristol who benefited from his wealth.

On Sunday, the city government condemned the culture of racism. The protesters welcomed this and they hope it can bring change.

"The statues imply that he was a great man who did great things. That's not true, he was a slave trader and murderer," said historian David Olusga.

The protests that sparked George Floyd's death have spread to nearly every country in the world. In Bristol, they helped highlight the history of colonialism or slavery and the figures who represented it.

In addition to the Colston statue in Bristol, other 'idols' of slavery and discrimination have been torn down in other places.

Winston Churchill

The statue of British Prime Minister Winston Churchill in London was also vandalized and scrawled with "racist" inscription. Previously, Churchill was credited with leading Britain to victory in World War Two.

However, for some people he is a very controversial figure. Partly because of his views on race. "There is no doubt that Churchill was racist," says the historian who wrote The Churchill Myths, Richard Toye. Toye said Churchill considered white people to be superior explicitly.

"He made unpleasant remarks about Indian people who he said were bad people with an evil religion. He also said unpleasant things about the Chinese people," said Toye.

The author of Churchill: The End of Glory, John Charmley in an interview with the BBC said the Prime Minister believes in racial hierarchy. Churchill believes white Protestant Christians are a higher race than white Catholics. Meanwhile, according to him, Indians have a higher rank than Africans.

Melville Monument

Apart from England, a Melville Monument in the Scottish capital, Edinburgh has also been the target of the anti-racist movement. The monument is painted with the words "George Floyd" and "BLM (Black Lives Matter)". The reason is, the building was made to commemorate a politician who delayed the abolition of slavery.

The politician was named Henry Dundas. He was one of the most influential people in the country in the 18th and 19th centuries. He was nicknamed "the crownless king".

Thousands of people have signed a petition calling for the monument to be removed. In the midst of the protests, officials announced that they would post an explanation board with "reflective" details about the city's links to slavery.

"We need to tell our story and make sure people understand Edinburgh's role in the world historically. It's not just a part of which we are proud but one that embarrasses us too," said Edinburgh City Council leader Adam McVey.

King Leopold II

Turning to Belgium, the people there are calling for the statues of the king who ruled the country the longest, Leopold II, to be dismantled. The online petition has already been signed by tens of thousands of people. Meanwhile some anti-racism protesters have taken direct action.

The statue of a colonial-era king in the city of Ghent is covered in red paint, with a cloth over his head marked with the words "I can't breath". The words that Floyd said as he died.

In Antwerp, another king's statue was burned by protesters and then transferred by the authorities to a museum. Meanwhile, in the capital city of Brussels, a statue is marked with the word "killer".

King Leopold II ruled Belgium from 1865 to 1909, the most memorable of his time being his terrible legacy in the Democratic Republic of Congo. He perpetuated massive forced labor there and made a lot of wealth from the rubber trade.

Those who dare to oppose it, get ready to face hot lead. The number of deaths during his reign is estimated at 10 million Congolese. No less cruel, he also put the Congolese people into a human zoo in Belgium.

Robert E Lee

Meanwhile, in the United States, which is the source of the problem, the state of Virginia has knocked down a statue of General Robert E Lee, which had previously been damaged by the masses during the demonstration against the George Floyd case.

When tearing down the 12-ton monument, Governor Ralph Northam said "We are no longer preaching a fake version of history. The statue has been there for a long time. But it was a mistake of the past. So we tore it down."

Robert E Lee was a commander of the pro-slavery Confederate United Army - a coalition of southern American states in the US Civil War from 1861 to 1865. Lee also married one of the richest slave-owning families in Virginia. He also received resistance from the slaves who were expected to be freed.