Fresh debate has been sparked over a controversial Oxford statue after onlookers noted it had been pelted with “pigeon droppings”.
The Cecil Rhodes statue on the grounds of Oriel College at University of Oxford was covered in protective black netting after protesters in 2020 demanded it be taken down.
Before then, it had been a free for all zone for pigeons in Oxford.
“Earlier in my life I lived in Zambia, which used to be known as Northern Rhodesia, after Rhodes.
“As soon as they won their independence they changed the name of the country, because Rhodes prevented Africans from voting and stole their valuable resources.
“I agree with those who say that statues of people like him belong in a museum, not on a pedestal. People need to be able to read about the good and the bad things he did when he was alive.”
The statue of Rhodes, a 19th century imperialist linked to the slave trade, has been shrouded in controversy for years.
It gained renewed attention in June 2020 after a statue of the 17th century slave trader Edward Colston, was thrown in a dock in Bristol by Black Lives Matter protesters.
The Cecil Rhodes statue was set to be removed by summer 2021 and placed in a museum after governors of Oriel College voted to take it down – reversing a decision they made in 2016.
The Cecil Rhodes statue in High Street.
This was eventually prevented by “regulatory and financial challenges” but an explanatory plaque “contextualising” the statue was placed next to gating at the building.
Green city councillor Emily Kerr said: “I’ve long been disappointed that Oriel College hasn’t been able to come to a suitable compromise on the statue of Rhodes.
“It seems that it should be possible to have a pragmatic compromise, such as turning the statue around to face the wall and clearly highlighting the colonial history should be possible. I hope this is a step towards some action being taken.”
Thousands of people signed a petition against removal of the statue when it was due to be taken down in 2021.
Greg Everest, who started the petition, said at the time: “Cecil Rhodes is an historical figure with world wide significance. We must keep our history, British history, in order to learn from it regardless of political feelings and persuasions.
“If we continue down the road of removing statues of people who we feel no longer fit today’s morality we will have to remove 90 per cent of British monuments along with our kings and queens.”
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