Yesterday, as Black Lives Matter protests intensified in the UK, a statue of the former British PM Winston Churchill was defaced and crossed out with black ink and the words ‘was a racist’ were written underneath.
They’ve defaced Churchill! pic.twitter.com/rkINK4oac6
— Jack Dawkins (@DawkinsReturns) June 7, 2020
While Churchill is a celebrated figure in Britain due to his leadership during World War II, in India he’s held responsible for the Bengal famine that had caused the deaths of more than 4 million people.
However, the defacing of his statue did create some debate last night.
“I do not admit that a wrong has been done to these people by the fact that a stronger race, a higher-grade race, a more worldly wise race to put it that way, has come in and taken their place.” 🤮#ChurchillWasARacist https://t.co/lpgXTfdF4w
— Nancy Langham-Hooper (@Nancinette) June 7, 2020
Churchill was to India what Hitler was to the Jews!
— Preetam Rao 🇮🇳 (@Preetam_M_Rao) June 8, 2020
I dont see why Indians have to defend him! That makes absolutely no sense whatsoever!
He let millions of Indians starve to death & defended it by saying, “Indians breed like Rabbits”!
He was a Monster
#ChurchillWasARacist
Western kids must be wondering, “Why is this #ChurchillWasARacist
— आत्मनिर्भर Fitoori🇮🇳 (@UrbanFitoor) June 8, 2020
beaming on #Twitter? When Dad told me that #Churchill was a great PM?”
Here👇@ShashiTharoorpic.twitter.com/3C6a2GF5BE
The problem is that this picture will enrage people.
— AJ🇮🇷 (@AJ_1399) June 7, 2020
And that’s simple a result of whitewashed history.#churchill #ChurchillWasARacist pic.twitter.com/4WCCSU5Qqc
You just know this cnut would be a slave trader if he could get away with it #ChurchillWasARacist https://t.co/x9eD6qGA7h
— #BLACKLIVESMATTER Lil Old Me (@relovedreams) June 7, 2020
What exactly are you going to do ?… go there and wave your Union Jack Flag, that you’re right now using to wipe away your tears?. I’d say sit down, but you already are, sipping on a can of Stella, acting all Billy Small Balls
— Natalie Rowe (@RealNatalieRowe) June 7, 2020
If you think that outrageous wait til you find out that its absolutely true and that Churchill was a massive racist and responsible for the deaths of millions in India and terrorism against the Irish population. Favouring chemical weapons too. Have to expect some reaction tbh.
— Derek Conlon (@derekconlon) June 7, 2020
Earlier in Bristol a bronze statue of Edward Colston, a prominent 17th Century slave trader, was torn down and thrown into the harbour during the second day of anti-racism protests. Colston was a member of the Royal African Company, which transported about 80,000 men, women and children from Africa to the Americas.
