Statue of slave owner plunged into the river by hoards of demonstrators in 'historic' act of protest

A crowd of Black Lives Matter protesters pulled down a bronze statue of former slave trader Edward Colston in Bristol on Sunday.

It comes about after the death of George Floyd on 25 March and rallies held across the world to protest police brutality and systemic racism.

The protesters in Bristol cleared an area and then used a rope to pull the statue off its hinges.

As soon as it came tumbling down, a swarm of people rushed in to celebrate and destroy it even further.

Videos of the destruction began circulating on social media, as people reacted in jubilation:

The protesters then pulled the statue over to the nearby river and pushed it over the railing and into the water.

The bronze monument sank immediately.

In 1680, Colston became a member of the “Royal African Company”, which traded along the west coast of Africa in gold, silver, ivory and slaves.

During his 12 years with the company, it’s estimated he forcibly traded over 84,000 African men, women and children to the Carribean and North America.

It’s estimated around 19,000 of these died on the journey and never made it.

The statue torn down by protesters was originally erected in his honour in 1895.

There have since been petitions to remove it – along with other accolades for the former slave trader – scattered around the city.