Edward Colston – A century of protest

In June 2020, the statue of Edward Colston in central Bristol was removed from its plinth by Black Lives Matter protestors and rolled into the waters of the Harbourside.

Some saw this as an isolated event – in fact it was the culmination of a century of protest against what was dubbed “the cult of Colston” in the city.

Roger and Mark will be talking about the foundations of opposition to Colston as a trader of enslaved persons and his reinvention as a Victorian icon.

They will explore the formation of the campaign group ‘Countering Colston’, which challenged both the physical commemoration and memorialisation in the city, looking beyond the headlines to reflect on the toppling of the statue and what might happen next.

Details of booking here.