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My dad ran D&C (the police of the police) for a number of years and made the "mistake" of being scrupulously honest in applying the word of the law even when senior officers were involved. Definitely limited his career but his general belief was "police are people, people are flawed, we need to hold each other to account". Unfortunately, loyalty to the job has, in places, surpassed the belief that they serve the public.

Nah. I had a personal license to sell alcohol. It's not a thing.

Gov UK disagrees with you

https://www.gov.uk/alcohol-young-people-law

Splashity bye to the statue of E Colston in Bristol, now Bristol Harbour.

Learnt something new;

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Ok for 16 and 17 year olds, I'll accept that.

Finally some good fucking news.

Well done to the good folk of Bristol. That statue seems much lighter than I'd have expected.

A fitting end to the memory of a man who oversaw the deaths at sea of countless African people.

First statue of many, I hope.

That's what I meant.

He transported 100,000 people, all of them, including women and kids, had his initials branded on their chest. 20,000 of them died and were thrown overboard on the journey. And the council had been taking years giving consideration to changing the name of the hall named after him. wtaf

Fair enough. I've seen people try and claim it for kids as young as 8

Who's giving their 8 year old booze?

I may misremember, but I think this is the first instance of iconoclasm (as opposed to just property damage) that I've seen in protests since ... probably since the green Mohican on Churchill, although that wasn't really iconoclasm.

As a protest gesture, it's excellent. Having said that, I always prefer it when things like this are done officially, but I don't know what the institutional blockages were in this case. It might still have taken years had they gone down that route. You just don't know if there will be some kind of attempt to set the statue (which was evidently damaged) up again. I hope not.

Priti Patel pulsing fully in sync with the zeitgeist, as ever.

However, the home secretary, Priti Patel, urged the police to take action. She told Sky News: “I think that is utterly disgraceful and that speaks to the acts of public disorder that have actually now become a distraction from the cause in which people are protesting about.”

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2020/jun/07/blm-protesters-topple-statue-of-bristol-slave-trader-edward-colston

Why was that statue there in the first place?

Who knew the Met ride homing horses?

The Met?

From the little video of the incident, it looks as if the horse had bolted, and that's why the rider hit the traffic light? Just wondering as all the other horses are going so slowly in that shot. I'm probably not seeing it right.

Colston was also a 'philanthropist', meaning that he gave some of his ill-gotten gains to 'worthy' causes to enhance his reputation. It still happens today, funnily enough ...

He supported and endowed schools, almshouses, hospitals and churches in Bristol, London and elsewhere. His name is commemorated in several Bristol landmarks, streets, three schools and the Colston bun. Many of his charitable foundations still survive.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Colston

Just read up on the criticism of the statue by means of the Wikipedia page. Quite the saga. Some things that can't be chucked into the river:

Colston's name permeates the city in such landmarks as Colston Tower, Colston Hall, Colston Avenue, Colston Street, Colston's Girls' School, Colston's School, Colston's Primary School and Temple Colston School (now part of St Mary Redcliffe and Temple School). He is also remembered, particularly by some schools, charities and the Society of Merchant Venturers, on Colston's Day on 13 November, his birthday, at a church service now at St Stephen's Church. A regional bread bun, the Colston bun, is named after him.

Colston Hall is already planned to be renamed. It'll be interesting whether any of the others follow suit. What'll happen to the bun?

Who ISN'T giving their 8 year olds booze?

I totally get the removal of a lot of the US statues. But given Bristol's history, in the case of this particular statue I'd have thought it would be better to keep it (but not on a plinth) and change how it is described - maybe part of a wider educational display.

Obviously Colston's name being attached to all the schools etc. is a different matter.

I prefer the chucking it in the harbour.

Fair enough.

Not really into vandalism. That people are comparing it with Sadam's statue is pretty telling.

What's it tell you?

Admittedly I only spent 3 incomplete years in Bristol, but I never heard of the 'colston bun'.

It is currently being displayed in the Docks. Enough of a change probably.