Briggs ‘interrogated’ over statue decision
Hamilton City Council chief executive Richard Briggs has found himself on the receiving end of a grilling from councillors over his decision to remove a statue of the man the city is named after.
But what was likened by one observer as an ‘‘interrogation'' was followed by the universal endorsement of that pre-emptive decision.
Briggs ordered the statue of Captain John Fane Hamilton be disinterred from its site in Civic Square on Friday, June 12, after threats were made to tear it down. At a meeting of the council's community committee yesterday afternoon, Briggs made it clear the decision was his and his alone.
Kauma¯ tua Taitimu Maipi declared he wanted to rip out the statue of Hamilton, who he described as ‘‘a murderous a...hole'', at the conclusion of a march through the city on June 13, that had been organised in support of the Black Lives Matter movement.
As well as wanting to avoid any damage to the statue itself – which was a gift to the city and could be counted among its assets – as well as possibly damaging the underground car park it sat on top of, Briggs said he wanted to avoid any potential conflict between people taking part in the protest march and police or security staff, who would have had to protect the effigy had it been left where it was.
If heavy machinery was used to yank the statue from its foundations, there was an estimated possibility that it could have fallen in through the ceiling of the car park below.
Yesterday's discussion will be followed by a more comprehensive one in August. Council staff will report back at that stage with an analysis of the situation that would include suggestions for the fate of the statue.
Councillors will also have the benefit of an additional report by historian Vincent O'Malley – commissioned by the previous council – that examines culturally sensitive place names and sites in the city to inform their decision-making.
Yesterday, Briggs was barraged with questions from councillors over the decision, most prominently from Ewan Wilson, who wanted to know exactly when it was made, who discussions were with and at what time the councillors were advised of what was happening.
‘‘It's like an interrogation,'' someone in the public gallery was heard to mutter as one by one the councillors asked about the events leading up to the statue's removal.
‘‘Those in the Black Lives Matter march could have been put in harm's way,'' Briggs told the politicians. ‘‘I removed it on an interim basis. The decision on where this statue goes is a decision for council and not for me.
‘‘Having a confrontation was an issue I was trying to avoid.''