Statue’s removal was long overdue

■ The pulling down of slave trader Edward Colston’s statue in Bristol is a natural reaction to how black people have been and continue to be treated by wider society.

This Conservative Government is still a large part of the problem with its hostile environment for immigrants who contribute so much to this country.

The statue should be dragged out of the harbour and displayed in a museum, laid on the floor still covered in paint, dented and scratched with the placards surrounding it.

That would be a powerful message for future generations that racism is unacceptable. Maureen Asquith Wetherby, West Yorks

■ Priti Patel says it is “utterly disgraceful” that a statue of the 17th-century slaver Edward Colston has been toppled by antiracist protesters. The real disgrace is that the statue stood in Bristol for so long.

Colston became wealthy by transporting 84,000 enslaved men, women and children from Africa. Some 19,000 of them died in the crossing to America. Only those ignorant of the slave trade can describe such an evil man as a “philanthropist”.

The anti-racist protesters who overturned his statue and deposited it in the harbour did well. Perhaps the souls of those Colston enslaved and murdered are resting easier now.

Black Lives have always mattered.

Sasha Simic, North London

■ It is right to protest the injustice of the killing of black American George Floyd by Minneapolis police. However, unfortunately the history books can’t be re-written and we can’t change the fact some of our great cities, such as Liverpool, Bristol and London, were built on profits of the slave trade.

The best way to honour those souls who gave their lives is to educate our school children on the wrongdoing of the past.

Neil Atherton, St Helens Merseyside

■ How could Health Secretary Matt Hancock expect to be taken seriously when he asked people not to attend Black Lives Matter protests last weekend?

This came after he omitted critical submissions from black and minority groups from the report on Covid-19 which shows that risks to life are much higher for BAME people.

This omission is a classic example of the structural racism that the protesters talk about and illustrates why the Black Lives Matter groundswell is necessary. Dr Bob Banks, Grindleford, Derbys

■ What utter hypocrisy from the Prime Minister and Home Secretary over the Black Lives Matter demonstrations.

Dominic Cummings blew social distancing away while crowded beaches gave protests a green light.

The majority were peaceful and condemning them with Trumpstyle rants demeans the message and displays complacency.

Collin Rossini, Dovercourt, Essex

■ I, along with my friends and neighbours, are concerned that the Black Lives Matters protests run the risk of undoing all our efforts at social distancing.

While all right-minded people condemn what happened in Minneapolis, we are trying to live through the biggest threat to life any of us has encountered during our lifetimes.

Harry Miller

New Addington, Surrey

■ I was shocked to read of Priti Patel’s response to the toppling of the Edward Colston statue but even more shocked to learn such a statue was still standing in the 21st century. I find it utterly disgraceful that Ms Patel could defend this statue – she’s so out of touch. Karen Faires Southend-on-Sea, Essex