Boris Johnson says it's 'absurd' that Winston Churchill statue is at 'risk' adding: we cannot edit our past

Boris Johnson has said it is “absurd and shameful” that the statue of Sir Winston Churchill in Parliament Square is at risk of attack from anti-racism protesters.

The Prime Minister intervened after a protective barrier was placed around the monument and the nearby Cenotaph on Thursday night amid concerns they could again be targeted by demonstrators.

Mr Johnson described Mr Churchill as a "hero", adding: “We cannot now try to edit or censor our past. We cannot pretend to have a different history."

He wrote on Twitter: “The statue of Winston Churchill in Parliament Square is a permanent reminder of his achievement in saving this country – and the whole of Europe – from a fascist and racist tyranny.

The statue has been covered up
Jeremy Selwyn

“It is absurd and shameful that this national monument should today be at risk of attack by violent protesters. Yes, he sometimes expressed opinions that were and are unacceptable to us today, but he was a hero, and he fully deserves his memorial.

“We cannot now try to edit or censor our past. We cannot pretend to have a different history. The statues in our cities and towns were put up by previous generations.

“They had different perspectives, different understandings of right and wrong. But those statues teach us about our past, with all its faults. To tear them down would be to lie about our history and impoverish the education of generations to come.”

Mr Johnson added that the “only responsible action” was to stay away from planned protests this weekend.

“As for the planned demonstrations, we all understand the legitimate feelings of outrage at what happened in Minnesota and the legitimate desire to protest against discrimination.

“Whatever progress this country has made in fighting racism – and it has been huge – we all recognise that there is much more work to do.

“But it is clear that the protests have been sadly hijacked by extremists intent on violence. The attacks on the police and indiscriminate acts of violence which we have witnessed over the last week are intolerable and they are abhorrent.

Winston Churchill statue and Cenotaph boarded up in London

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“The only responsible course of action is to stay away from these protests.”

It comes after activists scrawled "was a racist" on the statue of Britain's war-time Prime Minister as thousands descended on London for another protest over George Floyd's death.

MP for Rother Valley Alexander Stafford said it was a “sad day” for the capital that the Cenotaph had to be boarded up.

“Those that want to attack this symbol of freedom and liberty make me deeply ashamed," he wrote on Twitter.

A barrier was also put up around George Washington in Trafalgar Square
Getty Images

Jacob Young, MP for Redcar, wrote on Twitter: “So sad that rioters can't be trusted not to attack the cenotaph, so much so that they now feel the need to board it up.”

A protective barrier has also been put up around the George Washington statue in Trafalgar Square ahead of the protests.

Meanwhile, two statues of people involved in the history of Guy's and St Thomas' hospitals are to be removed due to their links with the slave trade.

The Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust announced on Thursday that the figures depicting Robert Clayton and Thomas Guy will be taken out of public view.

Edward Colston statue recovered from Bristol harbour

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Dozens more controversial statues could be pulled down after councils vowed to review their monuments following the series of Black Lives Matter protests.

Two slave trader statues have already been removed in recent days - one by campaigners at an anti-racism protest in Bristol and another with the approval of a local authority following a petition.

A statue of slave owner Robert Milligan was removed from its position in the docks he founded at West India Quay, east London, on Tuesday.

In Bristol, a statue of Edward Colston was torn down and pushed into the harbour.

Labour-led councils across England and Wales have now agreed to work with their local communities to look at the "appropriateness" of certain monuments and statues.

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