RAHUL SHARMA DEBT CONNECT IN MANCHESTER, UK,
Anti-racism campaigners calling for the removal of statues of a former British prime minister have been accused of targeting the wrong man.
There are several statues of Sir Robert Peel, who founded the modern police.
But city leaders said people appeared to be confusing him with his father, of the same name, who opposed the abolition of slavery.
Despite acknowledging the mistaken identity, campaigners are still calling for the Leeds statue to go.
Statues of the 18th Century prime minister - located in Leeds, Bury, Manchester, Preston and Glasgow - have been included on a list of possible targets following the toppling of the monument to Edward Colston in Bristol.
Sir Robert's father had been a vocal opponent of the abolition of slavery because it threatened his fortune in the cotton trade.
Responding to call for the Leeds statue to be taken down, council leader Judith Blake said: "There seems to be now a recognition that there has been some misunderstanding about the Robert Peel whose statue is in Leeds and that it was actually his father who worked in the cotton trade. "
No comments:
Post a Comment