George Floyd’s death: Protesters topple idols of 'racist' leaders like Churchill, Columbus

Statues of slave traders, imperialists, and explorers have been facing the angst of protesters demonstrating against racial discrimination across the world in the wake of George Floyd’s death. Protesters around the globe have made it clear that they won’t tolerate the glorification of historic figures with murky past, be it Italian explorer Christopher Columbus or former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill.

Columbus, who discovered the Americas in 1492, apparently brought racism along and launched trans-Atlantic slave trade. Native Americans, who welcomed Columbus with open arms, had to face exploitation and centuries of genocide. Columbus’ statues in Richmond, Minnesota and Boston were toppled or vandalized and even decapitated.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, who himself is an Italian American, said that he understands the feelings of people about Columbus and some of his acts but the statue has come to represent and signify appreciation for the Italian American contribution to New York. 

Churchill - Villain of Bengal Famine

Churchill has been a hero for Britain who led the country to victory during World War II, helping end the fascist regime of Adolf Hitler. However, Churchill is also held responsible for millions of deaths during the Bengal Famine of 1943 when decided to stockpile the food resources for the UK’s war efforts. The statue of former Prime Minister at London's Parliament Square was defaced with "Churchill" crossed out with black colour and “was a racist” written beneath it.

Read: Jerry Richardson Statue Removed By Carolina Panthers After 2017 Controversy Resurfaces

A petition on change.org to remove the statue of Rober Clive from the main square of Shrewsbury, Shropshire, has been initiated. The petition says that Clive played a central role in seizing control of a large swathe of Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Myanmar, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, and other parts of Southeast Asia.

“His actions resulted in the theft of Indian treasures and also in famines caused by policies disastrous to local Indian farm production,” reads the petition.

“While this statue is not anti-black racism, it goes some way to illustrate how embedded racism is in the UK,” it adds.

Read: Not Set In Stone: Statues Fall As Europe Reexamines Its Past