'Churchill is a criminal!': Anti-slavery campaigner says statues should fall
8 January 2022, 13:59 | Updated: 9 January 2022, 15:59
Anti-slavery activist says Churchill statues must fall
Statues of Sir Winston Churchill should 'be torn down' for the wartime PM's views on colonialism, this activist tells LBC.
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Following the clearing of the "Colston Four" of criminal damage charges for the toppling of slave trader Edward Colston's statue, Matt Frei spoke to activist Kofi Mawuli Klu and former UKIP MEP Roger Helmer.
Read more: 'Confusing' Colston statue verdict being 'carefully considered' by Attorney General
Mr Mawuli Klu equated the Colston affair with having statues commemorating Hitler across the UK. Matt insisted that the claim was to the extreme but wondered about Mr Mawuli Klu's position on commemorations of Sir Winston Churchill, who "had attitudes towards colonialism".
Read more: 'Shall we pull Churchill's statue down?': Andrew Castle quizzes activist
"Churchill is a criminal as far as colonised people around the world are concerned" the activist insisted.
"The time will come when masses of awakened people in this country will also tear down that statue."
Read more: Furious Nick Ferrari reacts to the extraordinary 'Colston four' verdict
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"Would you call for the statue of Winston Churchill to be torn down?" Matt pushed Mr Mawuli Klu.
"Winston Churchill's statue should be brought down" he declared.
Read more: Colston Four verdict: Lord Sumption tells LBC he doesn't particularly admire jury system
Mr Helmer fumed at the activist's point of view, arguing that Sir Winston Churchill was the "greatest prime minister of the 20th century" that simply possessed "some of the failings of his time."
He attacked Mr Mawuli Klu's calls for direct action, noting that "we live in a society where we can change things through the ballot box and we should not be changing things through violence in the streets."
