1,000 signatures reached
To: Marvin Rees - Mayor of Bristol City Council
Keep the statue of Jen Reid in Bristol centre until a permanent replacement is decided upon.
Mark Quinn's sculpture of Jen Reid, a female BLM protestor, should be kept on the plinth once occupied by the disgraced statue of Edward Colston, until a conversation can be had with the people of Bristol about a suitable long-term replacement.
Why is this important?
The statue of slave trader Edward Colston stood in the centre of Bristol for 124 years, where it has stood as an offensive provocation to the black community, in the literal centre of our city. For at least the last 30 years the statue was the subject of controversy, and many pleas to Bristol City Council that it be removed; finally, in June 2020 the matter was taken into the hands of the people, who forcibly removed the statue, as BCC were clearly unwilling to do so, despite voluble popular feeling.
Within a few weeks, in an act of guerilla art, the empty plinth of the Colston statue was filled with a sculpture by renowned artist Mark Quinn of Jen Reid, a BLM protestor involved in the removal of the Colston statue.
In contrast to their 30 years of procrastination over removal of Colston's statue, BCC sprang into action to remove this popular addition to Bristol centre within 24 hours of its installation.
The people of Bristol were not consulted about this removal, and we'd like the new, improved statue put back until such time as a long-term replacement can be found. It won't be permanent, we understand, but it's an appropriate placeholder that symbolises Bristol's rejection of racist iconography, and our pride in our multicultural community. People should have a chance to see it in place, and allow it to heal some of the harm done by 124 years of glorification of Bristol's shameful involvement in the slave trade, and the council's subsequent disrespect for its black community.
- [Jen Reid] recalled climbing onto [the plinth] after the Colston statue was pulled down and spontaneously raising her arm in a Black Power salute. "It was like an electrical charge of power was running through me."
"My immediate thoughts were for the enslaved people who died at the hands of Colston and to give them power. I wanted to give George Floyd power, I wanted to give power to Black people like me who have suffered injustices and inequality. A surge of power out to them all. Creating this sculpture is so important as it helps keep the journey towards racial justice and equity moving, because black lives matter every day."
“This sculpture is about making a stand for my mother, for my daughter, for black people like me. It’s about black children seeing it up there."
“It’s something to feel proud of, to have a sense of belonging, because we actually do belong here and we’re not going anywhere."
We're asking Bristol City Council to restore the statue to the plinth, so that Jen's daughter and other children can see it.
Within a few weeks, in an act of guerilla art, the empty plinth of the Colston statue was filled with a sculpture by renowned artist Mark Quinn of Jen Reid, a BLM protestor involved in the removal of the Colston statue.
In contrast to their 30 years of procrastination over removal of Colston's statue, BCC sprang into action to remove this popular addition to Bristol centre within 24 hours of its installation.
The people of Bristol were not consulted about this removal, and we'd like the new, improved statue put back until such time as a long-term replacement can be found. It won't be permanent, we understand, but it's an appropriate placeholder that symbolises Bristol's rejection of racist iconography, and our pride in our multicultural community. People should have a chance to see it in place, and allow it to heal some of the harm done by 124 years of glorification of Bristol's shameful involvement in the slave trade, and the council's subsequent disrespect for its black community.
- [Jen Reid] recalled climbing onto [the plinth] after the Colston statue was pulled down and spontaneously raising her arm in a Black Power salute. "It was like an electrical charge of power was running through me."
"My immediate thoughts were for the enslaved people who died at the hands of Colston and to give them power. I wanted to give George Floyd power, I wanted to give power to Black people like me who have suffered injustices and inequality. A surge of power out to them all. Creating this sculpture is so important as it helps keep the journey towards racial justice and equity moving, because black lives matter every day."
“This sculpture is about making a stand for my mother, for my daughter, for black people like me. It’s about black children seeing it up there."
“It’s something to feel proud of, to have a sense of belonging, because we actually do belong here and we’re not going anywhere."
We're asking Bristol City Council to restore the statue to the plinth, so that Jen's daughter and other children can see it.
