A fight to rename a metro stop pits those who want to celebrate a revered Black musician against those who want to retain the name of a priest who espoused equal rights for Francophone Quebecers — and also anti-Semitism.
Tag: Monuments and Memorials (Structures)
Istanbul’s Hagia Sophia Reopens as a Mosque
The Muslim faithful celebrated the decision by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey, even as it generated dismay among Christians and architectural conservators.
Fire Hits Cathedral in French City of Nantes
The images of smoke pouring out of the Gothic building were a painful reminder of the fire that mauled Notre-Dame in Paris, but the authorities said the damage would not be as serious.
Bristol Removes Statue of Black Protester Jen Reid After One Day
The statue of Jen Reid, a Black Lives Matter protester, was raised on Wednesday in place of a toppled memorial to the slave trader Edward Colston.
Statue of Black Protester Is Raised in Place of Bristol Slave Trader
The image of Jen Reid, fist clenched atop the plinth in the English city where Edward Colston once stood, became a symbol of protest online. Now, it’s there in resin and steel.
In Russia, They Tore Down Lots of Statues, but Little Changed
“Waging war on bronze men doesn’t make your life any more moral or just,” one observer noted. “It does nothing really.”
George Floyd’s Killing Forces Wider Debate on France’s Slave-Trading Past
Rather than tear down statues, some argue that the past should not be obliterated, but remembered and explained.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson Stirs Culture War Over Churchill Statue
After “racist” was scrawled on a Churchill statue during protests over the killing of George Floyd, Mr. Johnson has spoken up for his political idol.
Statue of Leopold II, Belgian King Who Brutalized Congo, Is Removed in Antwerp
The statue was targeted by recent protests against racism and Belgium’s colonial history. The authorities said the statue would remain in a museum.
‘Get Rid of Them’: A Statue Falls as Britain Confronts Its Racist History
When demonstrators dumped the monument to a slave trader into Bristol Harbor, they galvanized a debate that echoes conversations happening in the American South about statues of Confederate generals.