This is sheer vandalism
Police condemn Bruce statue graffiti
Police are stepping up patrols at Stirling statues and monuments after the iconic Robert the Bruce statue at Bannockburn was defaced last week.
Paint was daubed on the statue and rotunda accusing the 14th century King of Scots as being racist and called on the removal of the statue.
It follows incidents in which demonstrators sprayed graffiti on a statue of Winston Churchill in London, accusing him of racism, as well as the toppling of a statue to slaver Edward Colston in Bristol.
Words painted on the rotunda stated ‘Robert was a racist bring down the statue’ as well as ‘Racist king BLM Black Lives Matter’ at the foot of the statue itself.
The site is run by the National Trust for Scotland who removed the graffiti on Friday afternoon. Following the vandalism, Stirling police said that inquiries are ongoing. Assistant chief constable Kenny MacDonald stressed it was a criminal matter and would be fully investigated.
He added: “Police officers will be providing additional patrolling around such monuments and statues in the coming days to deter such criminality. We understand that people want to make their voices heard, but they must do so lawfully and peacefully.”
The vandalism to the statue and rotunda was roundly condemned.
Bannockburn SNP councillor Alasdair MacPherson described the damage to the statue as appalling. He added: “The comments painted on the statue are ill-informed. Robert Bruce predated the slave trade. This is wanton vandalism. It’s heartbreaking to see. I hope the police catch the culprits.”
Stirling MP Alyn Smith described the graffiti as “counterproductive stupidity” which he hoped was an isolated incident, adding: “I’ve been vocal in my support for the Black Lives Matter campaign as it’s an important discussion that we should all be having, this vandalism is an attempt to hijack that message and won’t be tolerated. I thank the authorities who have acted as quickly as possible, aiming to restore this nationally iconic site.”
Stirling MSP Bruce Crawford said: “The Black Lives Matter campaign is about addressing very real problems with racism in different parts of our society – it’s a message and campaign that I support entirely, and this vandalism in no way speaks for its objectives. For someone to attempt to hijack the campaign in this way is offensive on so many levels, and they need to take a long hard look at themselves.”
Stirling Council leader Scott Farmer added: “The Robert the Bruce statue and the Bannockburn site are national icons, and many people are rightly angry that they have been targeted by mindless vandals in this way. I’m pleased that NTS picked up on this incident quickly and sought to clear the vandalism as soon as they possibly could.”
Bannockburn resident Kaz Brown, from Station Road, was on the scene on Friday morning as soon as she saw a picture of the graffiti which had been shared on Facebook.
Armed with cleaning materials, she told the Observer: “This is disgusting. It’s not happening here, not in Bannockburn.”
Others – including rugby players from Bannockburn RFC – offered their help to clean up the statue.
NTS manager Stuart Maxwell said: “We are very disappointed by the vandalism of the iconic Bruce statue at Bannockburn and the A-listed rotunda.
“This comes at a time when our charity is suffering serious financial hardship and this is a cost we could do without.
“We would like to thank the local community for their support in responding so quickly to this incident.”
Last week it was revealed that the visitor centre beside the rotunda and statue could be closed until 2022.
The £9m facility is set to be mothballed by the NTS as part of cost-cutting Covid-19 recovery plans.
Councillor MacPherson added: “This took place only a few days after NTS’s decision to mothball the site. This has left it susceptible to vandalism.
“The NTS need to provide security to keep an eye on the place.”
For more on the impact of the visitor centre closure see pages 4/5.