Statue of slave owner is boarded up for removal
A STATUE of slave owner Sir Thomas Picton has been boarded up after councillors voted for it to be removed from Cardiff’s City Hall.
Two carpenters placed a wooden box over the marble statue yesterday morning.
The move followed a vote by councillors on Thursday night to remove the statue, after growing public awareness of Picton’s role in the transatlantic slave trade led to public calls for the monument to be taken down.
The carpenters took about an hour and a half to set up scaffolding and place wooden boards around the statue while watched by photographers, television cameras and the Lord Mayor of Cardiff Dan De’Ath.
The mayor, who first called for the statue to be removed in June, said: “It feels like a real journey. I didn’t realise how big it would all become, how much attention there would be on me, Cardiff and the statue. I feel incredibly pleased it’s come down, and I’m very pleased with the way we’ve chosen to do it, democratically.”
Cllr De’Ath called for the statue’s removal after Black Lives Matter protesters toppled a similar statue in Bristol of slave trader Edward Colston.
A motion to remove the monument was put forward by Cllr Saeed Ebrahim to the full council which was debated on Thursday night.
Cllr De’Ath said: “It was a good debate and it’s only fair to give everyone an opportunity to vent their feelings because not everyone’s on board with it, but a clear majority are.
“It’s hugely symbolic that it’s coming down. It’s part of our history. We’re not destroying history – we’re making history. It’s far more appropriate for Sir Thomas to be in one of our excellent museums rather than here, right at the heart of democracy in the capital. “
He added: “It is just a symbol, but it’s what it symbolises and what he’s done. The values he represents aren’t ones that confirm with the values we want here and now in Cardiff. He was a real monster, responsible for countless deaths, suffering, pain and hurt among the populace of Trinidad.
“He was responsible for the deaths of many slaves, and it’s just not acceptable to have a statute of this guy in City Hall – because black lives matter. So we can’t tolerate monuments like this.”
The statue cannot be removed straight away as City Hall is a Grade-I listed building. Cardiff council must first apply to the Welsh Government for permission to alter the building – a process which could take more than 20 weeks. The boards will remain in place until the statue is removed.
Cllr De’Ath added: “This isn’t about just symbols or just statues. We’re not fighting the culture war, and I’m not all about taking Fawlty Towers or Little Britain off the telly.
“It’s about creating a fairer society for black people, addressing the structural issues that we face, and that people of all races face, and that’s where we need to go next.”
The statue was originally erected to commemorate Picton as the highest ranking officer to die at the Battle of Waterloo. But in recent years there was growing awareness of his part in the slave trade, and his role in the torture of a 14-year-old Trinidadian girl.
In Thursday’s vote, 57 councillors voted in favour of a motion to take it down. Five councillors voted against removing it and nine councillors abstained.
Councillor Saeed Ebrahim, who proposed the motion, said: “I, like many black people across the country, have been moved by the protests we have seen over the last eight weeks. People of all ages and all colours have joined together to declare: black lives matter.
“We are going through what I truly hope will be a historic moment for black people in this country and across the world. People are beginning to discuss the ingrained systemic racism that holds black people back so often in their lives.
“Removing the statue will send a message to black people that this city acknowledges what has happened to our grandparents at the hand of brutes like Picton and recognises the embedded racism.
“Most importantly, we’re taking positive action and building on Cardiff’s reputation as a welcoming, diverse city.”
Meanwhile Cllr Ebrahim will also head a new taskforce of 14 experts from black, Asian, and minority ethnic backgrounds who will explore how to tackle racial inequality in Cardiff.
Liberal Democrat councillor Bablin Molik criticised how the taskforce was set up and questioned why an independent chair wasn’t chosen in consultation with the local community.
She said: “It seems like a gimmick, almost tokenistic. This has become a media stunt to me. Why wasn’t this discussed with the communities we hope to work with?”
Cllr Molik called for more transparency and data around the ethnicity pay gap in Cardiff council.
According to the council’s most recent equalities report in 2018, black employees make up just 1.2% of the staff on the top four pay grades – despite black people making up 2.4% of Cardiff’s population.
Tory councillors proposed keeping the statue in place but placing a plaque next to it explaining Picton’s role as a slave owner.
Opposition leader Adrian Robson said: “It’s essential that future generations can learn about the good and the bad of this man’s actions. The education of the actions of Picton is critical.
“What are we going to do with it? There’s no actual plan for the next step. There’s a real risk that this statue will be left in the basement of City Hall to be forgotten. What will replace it? This leaves us with an empty plinth.” ■ Call to rename street: Page 14