Anti-BLM protest planned at Colston plinth called off
AFAR-RIGHT demonstration at the empty plinth of the statue of Edward Colston in Bristolhas been called off.
For Britain, which welcomed Stephen Yaxley-Lennon – aka Tommy Robinson – as a member in March, had called for people to come to the plinth in the Centre in Bristol on Saturday to demonstrate against Black Lives Matter, calling Colston “a famous son of Bristol”.
The protest sparked a backlash in Bristol, with campaign groups and organisations starting to plan their own counter-demonstration at the plinth two hours before.
But For Britain has now said its demonstration is cancelled, although its leader Anne Marie Waters said they “still will protest against Black Lives Matter in Bristol”. There were no further details.
Posts and press releases announcing the demonstration were still on the website on Saturday night, but in an interview on a livestream, Ms Waters said the demonstration was postponed.
She said: “I’m having a bit of a frustrating time at the minute with a protest. We wanted to, and still will, protest against Black Lives Matter in Bristol.
“We decided on the 9th of April, and we will still go there, but it is looking increasingly like that won’t be the day we go there. I have seen evidence on social media of the very vilest of Antifa planning and plotting to disrupt this.
“We were going to do this protest at the plinth of the Edward Colston statue, but they are planning to be there two hours before we were planning to be there.
“The council is now talking about covering up the plinth on the day.
“The police have not guaranteed us in any way, or given us any detail as to how they intend to police this.
“It is being portrayed as a celebration of slavery. Once again we are in the position where peaceful protest by us risks descending into violence and chaos.
“I do not want anyone to get hurt by this ... When you do this, much of this is to test the water and see what happens. We know now what’s happening, and it isn’t safe.
Last week, Bristol Mayor Marvin Rees said he would ‘prefer not to have’ the demo by For Britain happening.
“I am not sympathetic to far right messaging,” he said. “I would prefer not to have far right demonstrators rolling around the streets of Bristol, that is correct.”
The organisation Stand Up To Racism Bristol, one of the groups that had called for a counter-demonstration next Saturday, called it ‘a victory’ in a post on social media.
“The fact that they have published their intention to cancel is a victory and a credit to all those in Bristol who have pledged to oppose For Britain and their attempt to bring racist poison to our city,” a spokesperson said.