Edward Colston's statue in Bristol replaced by carving of Black Lives Matter protester

The statue of Edward Colston, the 17th century English slave trader, whose sculpture was toppled by Black Lives Matter protesters last month in Bristol, has been replaced by a carving of one of the demonstrators who was seen posing with one fist raised following demolition. According to media reports, a figure of Jen Reid has been placed on the pedestal in the wee hours of July 15, where until last month the statue of Colston was displayed. Reid was seen posing with her one fist raised shortly after Colston's statue was destroyed and thrown in the Bristol Harbour in June and a cardboard reading 'Black Lives Still Matter' was placed at the bottom of the plinth. 

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As per reports, artist Marc Quinn led a team of 10 people in the early hours of July 15 and placed the statue of Reid on the same pedestal. The statue of Reid was brought from his studio and was reportedly erected in just 15 minutes to avoid intervention from officials or police. The statue was erected with the help of a hydraulic crane truck. Marc Quinn, who made the statue titled, A Surge of Power (Jen Reid) 2020, said that even though it was not a permanent artwork, it has been placed in such a way that it would be difficult for anyone to remove it. The statue has been placed without permission from authorities so it is very likely that it would be removed, however, police or officials have not taken any action thus far. 

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What sparked recent protests?

The removal of statues of historical personalities all over the world was freshly reignited in June this year after the brutal killing of an African-American man George Floyd by a white police officer in the United States on May 25. The unlawful killing sparked protests in many countries, including the United States, which saw demolition and defacing of several controversial colonial-era statues. Right-wing leaders such as Boris Johnson and Donald Trump have condemned such actions calling it the destruction of history. 

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