Their report, which features statues honoring James Watt and King William, has been called “axe work” by a British heritage campaigner because it targets monuments of men who were historically anti-slavery. The audit, written by Dr Stephen Mullen, singles out eight statues scattered around Glasgow and criticizes them for their link to the slave trade.
Those listed in the audit are memorials for Colin Campbell, William Gladstone, John Moore and David Livingstone.
James Oswald, Robert Peel Jnr, James Watt and King William are also all attacked.
However, some of those on the list seem to be erroneously included.
Mr. Gladstone and Mr. Peel have previously been praised for being anti-slavery campaigners and are being criticized for the actions of their fathers.
Meanwhile, David Livingstone should work for once as a spinner in a mill using West Indian cotton.
The report itself does not call for the removal of the monuments, but the findings will be discussed by the local authority, which will hold public consultations.
One had already been launched to ask locals what they wanted to see in popular George Square.
One of the survey options is the removal or repositioning of statues in Civic Square, including the Campbell, Gladstone, Oswald and Watt monuments.
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However, Robert Poll, founder of Save our Statues, believes Glasgow City Council released the report to coincide with its consultation in George Square.
He called the report “an ax job” and said the decision “distorts our understanding of the past”.
He told the Scottish Daily Express: “This report is an ax job apparently timed to coincide with a consultation on the removal of the statues from George Square as a bogus justification.
“Great anti-slavery politicians like Gladstone and Peel are attacked for the sins of their fathers and for any slight nuance in their first positions.
“David Livingstone is now known not for having fought the slave trade in East Africa, but for once as a spinner in a mill using West Indian cotton.
“It’s a truly perverse approach to history that helps no one and distorts our understanding of the past. By elevating the ordinary above the extraordinary, we risk losing sight of what’s important.”
The council’s report also targeted street names and found that 62 streets and locations in Glasgow had ‘direct’ or ‘associated’ links to Atlantic slavery.
These include Buchanan Street (named after Andrew Buchanan junior) and Glassford Street (after tobacco lord John Glassford).
Commenting on the audit, a spokesman for Glasgow City Council said: “We have asked Dr Mullen to tell us about any links between the city and money from slavery.
“Clearly someone who inherited wealth from slavery or other human trafficking is someone who profited from slavery.
“Now that we understand the facts, we will have a broad discussion with the townspeople about how we recognize what has been done during these dark times.”
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Source: www.express.co.uk
This notice was published: 2022-03-22 14:04:00
