Winston Churchill’s statue was boarded up last night as anti-racism and far-right groups both plan protests in the capital this weekend.
Other monuments including the Cenotaph were clad in protective sheeting after being targeted by vandals during a Black Lives Matter demonstration last weekend.
The statue to Britain’s war-time leader was daubed in spray paint saying he ‘was a racist’, while another lout was pictured trying to set fire to a union flag on the Cenotaph commemorating the nation’s war dead.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan said he is ‘extremely concerned’ that further protests in London, particularly by extreme far-right groups which ‘advocate hatred and division’, could lead to violence and disorder.
He said ‘It is clear that the majority of the protesters have been peaceful.
‘This moment must be a catalyst for systemic, lasting change to tackle the racism and inequalities that black people still face today, in this country and elsewhere.
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‘However, I’m extremely concerned that further protests in central London not only risk spreading Covid-19, but could lead to disorder, vandalism and violence.
‘Extreme far-right groups who advocate hatred and division are planning counter-protests, which means that the risk of disorder is high.
‘Be in no doubt these counter-protests are there to provoke violence, and their only goal is to distract and hijack this important issue.
‘Staying home and ignoring them is the best response this weekend.’
The Democratic Football Lads Alliance called on supporters to travel to the capital to protect monuments after a number were vandalised in recent protests.
Far-right figure Tommy Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, has expressed his support.
The Sun reports that a flier posted on Facebook declared that rival firms will ‘put aside their rivalries and guard the Cenotaph from vandals’.
Reports have suggested violent protesters could be jailed within 24 hours as authorities attempt to deter trouble.
Anybody caught vandalising, causing criminal damage or assaulting police officers could be processed through magistrates’ courts with extended opening hours quickly, according to The Times.
Workers were also seen boarding up the George Washington statue on Trafalgar Square along with another to King James II as well as monuments of Nelson Mandela and Mahatma Gandhi.
The toppling of slave trader Edward Colston’s statue in Bristol last weekend acted as a catalyst for more monuments linked with Britain’s colonial past to be taken down.
The latest to follow suit is Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, after it confirmed two figures depicting Robert Clayton and Thomas Guy will be taken out of public view due to their association with the slave trade.
Clayton, a former Lord Mayor of London, had ties to the Royal African Company, which transported slaves to the Americas, while Guy invested in the South Sea Company, which was also involved in the trade.
Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust said in a statement: ‘Like many organisations in Britain, we know that we have a duty to address the legacy of colonialism, racism and slavery in our work.
‘We absolutely recognise the public hurt and anger that is generated by the symbolism of public statues of historical figures associated with the slave trade in some way.’
Meanwhile, Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council has delayed plans to temporarily remove a statue of Scouts founder Robert Baden-Powell after angry residents vowed to fight to protect it.
The council had originally said it would move the statue from Poole Quay on Thursday over concerns it was on a target list compiled by anti-racism activists.
Campaigners have focused in on Lord Baden-Powell due to his associations with the Nazis and the Hitler Youth programme, as well as his actions in the military.
The statue features on a ‘topple the racists’ website which lists more than 60 statues and memorials across the UK which they argue should be taken down, because they ‘celebrate slavery and racism’.
Mr Khan has already announced a newly formed Commission for Diversity in the Public Realm to review landmarks in the capital, including murals, street art, street names, statues and other memorials.
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