Published 11:45 IST, June 17th 2020
Twitter thread shows 'sculptures fighting back' amid removal of idols, netizens in splits
Amidst all this, a rather hilarious twitter threat which shows statues fighting back has now taken the internet by storm with users posting their own versions.
With anti-racism protests across the world, decades-old statues of some of the most famous world leaders are now being vandalized. Amidst all this, a rather hilarious Twitter threat which shows statues fighting back has now taken the internet by storm . Since first shared by a user called Mark Leneve, these photographs have caught everybody’s attention.
Statues fight back
The series of tweets show people posing beside world-famous statues. However not in the usual poses but in positions to showcase animate actions. While many have posed with traditional statues there are others who have shown creativity with modern ones such as the McDonald’s mascot. Not only has Leneve's post garnered over nearly thirty thousand likes but a brandwidth of replies from users who have posted their own versions.
This comes as statues of various "racist" and "imperialist" leaders have been vandalised across the globe. Earlier in June, 'Black Lives Matter' protestors in the United Kingdom toppled the 17th-century slave trader Edward Colston's statue into Bristol Harbour. According to the videos and images that have surfaced on social media, the protestors attached ropes to the statue before pulling it down. Some of the protestors are also seen kneeling on the statue's neck-- just as the ex-police officer killed George Floyd.
Meanwhile, the statue of one of Britain's most renowned leader Winston Churchill was vandalized when demonstrators took over the park that housed the statue on June 7. The same statue was defaced on June 6, which was the 76th anniversary of D-Day. D-Day marks that historical turning point of World War II when the allied forces, partially led by Winston Churchill, landed in Normandy. In addition, protesters have also started an online petition to remove British imperialist Robert Clive's statue from Shrewsbury, UK.
Responding to the trend, French President Emmanuel Macron has said that the country will not remove statues of colonial-era public figures who may have advocated racist policies, terming them as irreplaceable parts of history. President Macron was addressing the nation in a televised speech where he pledged to act uncompromisingly against racism but added that France would not seek the removal of any statue as they are part of the history.
Updated 11:45 IST, June 17th 2020