icon bookmark-bicon bookmarkicon cameraicon checkicon chevron downicon chevron lefticon chevron righticon chevron upicon closeicon v-compressicon downloadicon editicon v-expandicon fbicon fileicon filtericon flag ruicon full chevron downicon full chevron lefticon full chevron righticon full chevron upicon gpicon insicon mailicon moveicon-musicicon mutedicon nomutedicon okicon v-pauseicon v-playicon searchicon shareicon sign inicon sign upicon stepbackicon stepforicon swipe downicon tagicon tagsicon tgicon trashicon twicon vkicon yticon wticon fm
2 Jul, 2020 15:27

Johnson condemns effort to 'edit history' by removing Cecil Rhodes statue, likens it to politicians 'sneakily' editing Wikipedia

Johnson condemns effort to 'edit history' by removing Cecil Rhodes statue, likens it to politicians 'sneakily' editing Wikipedia

British PM Boris Johnson says a statue of colonialist Cecil Rhodes shouldn't be taken down from Oxford University, as it would be an attempt to "edit our history" like a politician cheekily trying to change their Wikipedia entry.

In an interview with London's Evening Standard newspaper on Thursday, Johnson declared that he could not support Oriel College, Oxford University's plans to remove the statue of the 19th century British figure. The PM said he was "pro-heritage" and "pro-history," and in favor of people learning about Britain's past "with all its imperfections."

Also on rt.com BoJo says focus less on ‘symbols,’ more on ‘substance’ of racism, as English rugby mulls banning song penned by freed black slave

Johnson told the paper that the proposed action would be like "trying to bowdlerize or edit our history... like some politician sneakily trying to change his Wikipedia entry."

Organizers of the 'Rhodes Must Fall in Oxford' movement, reinvigorated by the Black Lives matter protests in the US and around the world, renewed calls for the statue to be taken down in recent weeks. Campaigners argue that the figure glorifies racism and is an insult to black students. 

Their calls appeared to have the desired effect, with Oriel College's governing body voting in favor of having it removed.

In 2015, a statue of Rhodes – who has been described as the father of apartheid – was removed from the University of Cape Town in South Africa following a mass campaign by students.

The British diamond magnate and imperialist, who was PM of the Cape Colony [a British colony in present-day South Africa] from 1890 to 1896, played a central role in Britain's colonial expansion in Africa. After his death, Rhodes bequeathed a part of his fortune to Oxford to establish the prestigious Rhodes scholarship.

Also on rt.com Removing Rhodes statue would be a total whitewash of both British and African history

A political storm around the rights and wrongs of tearing down statues of figures linked to colonialism, slavery or racist policies has swept the UK in recent weeks, sparked by the downing of 17th century slave trader Edward Colston's monument in Bristol in early June.

Like this story? Share it with a friend!

Subscribe to RT newsletter to get stories the mainstream media won’t tell you.

Podcasts
0:00
29:33
0:00
27:22