Following the conviction of four activists for destroying the Edward Colston statue, protesters were given the green light to vandalize controversial monuments. MPs had warned them last night that this was after they were cleared by a jury.
After the Bristol Memorial was demolished, the so-called Colston Four were found not guilty of criminal damage.
Critics attacked last night’s “extraordinary verdict” as a vandals’ charter, which they believe could grant other demonstrators a dangerous license to execute similar acts.
Last night, however, government sources said that the trial wouldn’t stop authorities from bringing charges against those who vandalized or damaged statues in protest rallies.
Jake Skuse (33) was accused of persuading the crowd to release the statue into the harbor during a Black Lives Matter march in June 2020.
Photo taken from the outside courtroom shows Sage Willoughby and Jake Skuse celebrating their not guilty verdicts at Bristol Crown Court. The photos were taken on January 05/2022 in Bristol.
Rhian Graham, Jake Skuse and Milo Ponsford speak out after they were convicted. Mr Willoughby said: ‘He proudly announced: ‘We didn’t change history, they were whitewashing history by calling him a f***ing virtuous man, sorry to swear, we didn’t change history, we rectified history’
Milo Ponsford & Rhian Graham were seen laughing and smiling in the courtyard this evening. Ms Graham spoke out after the verdict had been announced and said that defendants admitted that they were delighted by the outcome.
Sage Willoughby kneels to celebrate the decision in his favor. Criticisms reaffirmed the arguments of the prosecution, arguing that it was about law and politics.
These were the four protestors that toppled Edward Colston’s statue
Ms. Graham hails from Bristol and works in the theatre sector as a stage manager.
Rhian Graham, 30
Ms. Graham hails from Bristol and works in the theater industry as a stage manager.
Mandy.com’s jobs page states that she began singing and dancing as a child, and has recently been an ‘aerial hoops artist’.
She holds a degree in Arts and Event Management from Arts University Bournemouth.
Ms. Graham claimed during her trial she had signed petitions asking for the removal of Colston’s statue before she helped to demolish it.
Although she claimed that her background was not in activism or politics, she has’since 2019′.I found more people who shared my passions for politics, history and equality.
Ponsford is 26 years old and works as a carpenter. He lives in Bristol in his motorhome.
Milo Ponsford, 26
Ponsford is 26 years old and works as a carpenter. He lives in his motorhome in Bristol.
During his trial at Bristol Crown Court he stated that he was “usually a reserved professional individual.”
One of two ropes that were used to lift the Colston statue off of its plinth was provided by the carpenter.
Later, he was seen trying to grab Colston’s staff off the statue.
Ponsford is 26 years old and works as a carpenter. He lives in Bristol in his motorhome.
Sage Willoughby, 22
Willoughby is also from Bristol and was the youngest member of the four that tore the statue down.
Willoughby did not consent to a police interview, as Ponsford was held at Ponsford’s motorhome.
At the Bristol Crown Court trial, jurors learned that Willoughby had tied a rope around a statue’s neck before Graham and Ponsford pulled on the ropes.
Willoughby claimed in court that he has been signing petitions to remove the statue’since the age of 11′. He added that it was an ‘act love, not violence’.
According to him, he grew up in St Pauls which is home to a significant Afro-Caribbean community.
As a result, he said he believed having the statue of Colston in the city was an ‘insult’ and he would continue to believe that whatever the outcome of this [trial].’
Skuse (also from Bristol) was not involved in the downing of the statue, but was arrested for criminal damage. He helped to roll the statue into Bristol’s Harbour, where it was then dropped into the water.
Jake Skuse (33).
Skuse was also from Bristol but did not participate in the toppling. However, Skuse was arrested for criminal damage when he helped to roll the statue to Bristol’s harbor, where it was dropped into the sea.
His trial was a testimony by him that he attempted to “sentence the statue of his death” before throwing it into the harbor.
Although he claimed not to have seen the first toppling, he arrived late and was enamored by the “hype” of the moment.
But, the activist said that his prior knowledge of Colston was limited to having conversations with other people and reading the plaque on Colston’s plinth.
CCTV captured Sage Willoughby (22 years old) and Milo Ponsford (30 year-old), tying ropes to the monument.
Furious protesters attacked the statue and daubed paint on it.
After it had been rolled through the streets, the vehicle was dumped into the water. It eventually fell to the bottom.
An 11-day trial at Bristol Crown Court heard the mob caused more than £6,000 of damage to the statue, harbour railings and the pavement.
This destruction marked the turning point in the protests following the assassination of George Floyd, a black suspect in the US by a white officer.
Peter Bone, Tory MP, said that despite the verdict of last night’s jury, he was not privy. However, if someone toppled a statue, or other structure, that would be criminal damage, one would expect that people would face punishment.
He maintained that it was a risky state of affairs, which would allow others in the country license to take down statues.
Bone stated that it was a “very strange” decision. It is my hope that the government will take every possible step to prevent criminal damage being done on the basis of some rational objective.
Tom Hunt, Tory MP and fellow Tory member of parliament said that the verdict “feels like vandals charter”.
“This is a dangerous precedent,” he said. This idea that any political extremist can remove any statue without being punished… Where does it stop?
“What happens to Churchill’s statue at Parliament Square if protestors decide to remove it and throw it in the Thames?” Are they also likely to escape prosecution?
Lee Anderson (a Tory MP) stated that he had never seen anything similar. No matter who the statue represents, criminal damage can be considered criminal damage.
“We live in democracy, and people should not be offended by statues. They need to use local democratic processes and not mindless thuggish behavior.
Save Our Statues posted the following tweet: “Colston statue accuse defy justice. Verdict allows political vandalism to continue, as well as legitimizes divisive identities it has helped foster.
The activists did not admit guilt to their actions during the trial, but claimed that the statue had been offensive.
Jurors were told by Mr Ponsford that he thought a statue honoring a figure like Colston was offensive and disgraceful to Bristolians.
Miss Graham is half-sister to Rag’n’Bone Man’s Rory Graham and said that she acts out of solidarity with people of color.
Liam Walker, QC represented Mr Willoughby.
“Colston’s actions may have been historical, but…continued veneration in multicultural cities of him was an act of abuse.”
However, the prosecution claimed that Colston died in 1721 and was a slave trader.
William Hughes, QC for the Crown said that the case concerned the rule of Law’ and the “cold hard facts”.
Jurors were instructed by Judge Peter Blair, QC to ignore political rhetoric and focus on the evidence.
The Colston Four were cleared from court, along with protesters displaying banners proclaiming “We toppled Colston”.
Trois of them wore T-shirts by Banksy, a Bristol street artist. The stencil depicting the plinth that fell from the statue was on their T-shirts.
Outside of court, Mr Willoughby aired an expletive-laden tirade as he justified the actions of the group.
‘We didn’t change history, they were whitewashing history by calling him a f***ing virtuous man, sorry to swear, we didn’t change history, we rectified history,’ he said.
He stated, “This victory is for Bristol. It’s also a victory in racial equality. And it’s for everyone who wishes to be righteous.”
Skuse, wearing a black baseball hat, declared that the verdict was the right one and thanked Banksy for his limited edition tee-shirts, which they wore to court.
Ponsford expressed his gratitude to jurors for being on the “right side” of history.
It’s been hard to believe that this day is coming. I felt hopeless for so long, and had to be realistic about the possibility of it happening. However, here we are. “Just thank you. Thank you so much that you sat and listened,” said Ms Graham.
Milo Ponsford and Sage Willoughby left; Jake Skuse right in mask; Rhian Graham right were all cleared at Bristol Crown Court Wednesday of all charges for criminal damage.
On June 7, 2017, the bronze monument to 17th-century merchant Edward Colston was taken down during Black Lives Matter protests. It was then later placed in the harbour.
Following the trial’s high profile, the group addressed media.
She said, “We’re ecstatic. We are stunned.” It was difficult for me to prepare something, but I am overwhelmed by the fact that it has never felt like we would get there and we are now.
“There were so many people on that day. There was a ripple effect across the globe. It’s all thanks to key people like our legal team, who are truly amazing. We are so grateful to them for helping us get through.
“Everybody was there, the 10,000 who marched down the streets of Bristol to show their love for equality.
After the verdict was returned by Bristol Crown Court, four of the defendants cheered outside. Pictured from left to right: Sage Willoughby, Jake Skuse, Milo Ponsford and Rhian Graham
It’s been hard to believe that this day would come. I felt hopeless, yet had to keep my feet on the ground knowing that things could go either way. However, here it is. Just thank you. I’m grateful that you sat down and listened,’ Ms Graham, pictured today, said after the verdict was revealed.
Rhian Graham was seen in Bristol at a press conference after Jake Skuse and Milo Ponsford were cleared of any criminal damage
Ms Graham acknowledged that the group was ‘ecstatic’ at the verdict of the jury and said they had “illuminated the history” by toppling it.
Colston served as the Royal African Company’s vice governor. But his legacy from Bristol is being quickly erased
“All the rope-pullers. All the statue-climbers. All the rollers. Egg-throwers. Rollers. Placard-holders. You lot, you all are incredible. And the international topplers. These people took control of their agency and created change in their community.
“One thing we now know is that Colston doesn’t represent Bristol.”
Ms Graham stated that this was one of the most important lessons she has learned, being able take control over my life.
“We each have the power to decorate our spaces and honor those we love and celebrate, but one thing is certain: Colston doesn’t represent Bristol.
The statue was later retrieved from the harbour.
Colston, a prominent figure in the Atlantic slave market, supported schools for the poor and hospitals. After the statue fell, some buildings in Bristol bearing Colston’s name were demolished.
Edward Colston: A merchant and slave trader, who was once considered Bristol’s greatest son
Edward Colston, who was an integral member of the Royal African Company that had total control over Britain’s slave trade, was a key figure
Edward Colston was born in Bristol to a rich merchant family in 1636.
He began his apprenticeship at a livery firm and then started his own company.
After his graduation, he was a member of the Royal African Company.
The Company held complete control over Britain’s slave trade as well as the gold and Ivory transactions with Africa and its forts along the coasts of west Africa.
During his tenure at the Company his ships transported around 80,000 slaves from Africa to the Caribbean and America.
Some 20,000 people, including 3,000 children or more, were killed during their journeys.
Thomas Colston, Colston’s brother supplied the glass beads used in the purchase of the slaves.
Colston, the Conservative MP for Bristol was created in 1710 by Colston but he was only elected for one term. This was due to his old age and poor health.
His wealth from extensive slave trade was used to fund schools and almshouses within his hometown.
His honor was honored by a monument and other buildings, such as Colston Hall.
The venue agreed, however, to remove any reference to the trader following years of activism by campaigners and artist boycotts.
A plaque was placed on a monument to Colston that is located in Bristol. It reads: “Erected by the citizens of Bristol as an honor of one of our most noble and wise sons.”
The statue of Colston, which overlooked the harbour, was demolished in the aftermath of 2020’s Black Lives Matter protests.