In Bristol on Sunday the statue of Edward Colston was torn down and thrown into the river.
Colston was a member of the Royal African Company, which transported about 80,000 men, women and children from Africa to the Americas.
On his death in 1721, he bequeathed his wealth to charities and his legacy can still be seen on Bristol's streets, memorials and buildings hence the statue.
Bristol's mayor Marvin Rees who was elected mayor in May 2016 became the first major European city to have elected a mayor of black African heritage said the statue would be retrieved from the harbour "at some point" and it was likely to end up in a city museum.
"I can't and won't pretend the statue of a slave trader in a city I was born and grew up in wasn't an affront to me and people like me”
IMO irrelevant of the recent demos this statue was highly provocative and should have been long gone IMO.
My question is simple, during his four years of being mayor why did he not get the statue removed before now?
I understand it was public property on public land so he had the power to remove it!
Why did apparently sit back and leave it for the protestors to do the job for him?