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The movement against racism and social injustice following the killing of George Floyd has called out many to reconsider the statues, monuments, and memorials currently standing in a number of cities around the globe.
What started off as the toppling of statues that honored and celebrated slavery and racism has now grown into a whole parallel movement that pushes everyone to rethink people and events in history. Since protesters started taking down certain statues, city governments and private owners started to do the same.
Now, this may be one of the few times when statues are taken down virtually en-masse, but it is definitely not the first time statues are taken down in general as the people associated with them were later proven to be not worthy of one.
Bored Panda has collected a list of some of the most memorable statues that have been taken down for one reason or another. Check out the list below, and while you’re at it, be sure to vote and comment on them! And if you want more statues, Bored Panda has recently published an article on 29 statues that are better than the ones protesters are tearing down, commemorating heroes and events against the evils of the world.
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#1
Bust of Bill Cosby (American comedian) in Walt Disney World, Orlando, Florida, taken down in July, 2015 due to accusations of sexual assault.
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#2
Commemorative brick dedicated to Gary Glitter (English glam rock singer) removed from the Wall of Fame at the Cavern Club in Liverpool. It was taken down in November, 2008 due to Glitter's possession of child pornography, child sexual abuse, and attempted rape of minors.
#3
Statue of Joe Paterno (American football player) in Penn State's Beaver Stadium, Pennsylvania, taken down on July 22, 2012 due to his child sex abuse scandals.
StormsTempest 4 years ago
Burn it. Anyone who takes advantage of children deserves to be erased from history.
#4
Statue of Leopold II Of Belgium (King of the Belgians) in Ekeren, Belgium, taken down in June, 2020 for colonialist exploitation and other atrocities.
Alex Barnett 4 years ago
This guy was particularly bad. Murdered hundreds of thousands (if not millions) of Africans for rubber. Slavery had been abolished in Belgium, but since Congo was a colony he got away with it into the 20th century.
#5
Statue of Edward Colston (English merchant) in Bristol, UK, taken down on 7 June, 2020 for his involvement in slave trade.
#6
Statue of Saddam Hussein (President of Iraq) in Baghdad, Iraq, taken down on April 9, 2003 during the invasion of Iraq by the US forces.
#7
Statue of Christopher Columbus (Italian navigator and admiral) in Richmond, Virginia, taken down, spray-painted, set on fire, and thrown into a nearby lake by protestors on June 9, 2020 in solidarity with Native Americans.
#8
Statue of Frank Rizzo (American police officer and politician) in Center City Philadelphia, taken down on June 2, 2020 for his strong opposition against desegregation.
#9
A Confederate memorial in Jacksonville, Florida, taken down on June 9, 2020 as part of the mayor's plan to remove all confederate monuments, memorials, and markers during the George Floyd protests.
Toea Muresan Iulia 4 years ago (edited)
the column is beautiful, maybe they could have change this monument a bit, not take down entirely
#10
Statue of Edward Ward Carmack (newspaperman and political figure) in Tennessee Capitol, taken down in June, 2020 for his views against African Americans and encouraged retaliation against the support of the Civil Rights Movement.
#11
Statue of J.F.C. Hamilton (British Naval Officer and namesake of Hamilton City) in Hamilton, New Zealand, taken down on June 12, 2020 by the request of the Maori Tribal Confederation Waikato Tainui.
#12
"One Riot, One Ranger" statue In Dallas, Texas, removed on June 4, 2020 for its reference to a riot by a white lynch mob and for the statue's model being used in helping prevent black students from enrolling in public schools.
Dianna Siever 4 years ago
I'm confused by the history of this statue and find the explanation provided ambiguous. Maybe in just being thick. Could someone clarify?
#13
Statue of Cecil John Rhodes (British mining magnate and politician) in Cape Town, South Africa, taken down on 9 April, 2015 as part of a protest to decolonialize education in South Africa.
Gareth Kennedy 4 years ago
Why then do the same people who tore down this statue accept the famed "Rhodes scholarship" to study at Oxford??? Funny how the scholarship is less offensive
#14
Dunham Massey Hall Sundial, taken down in June, 2020 as a degrading depiction of slavery during the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests.
Julia Mi 4 years ago
when came the point when people accepted this depiction as "norm"?? Racism, nazism, and other diminishing ideology didn't become accepted over night... it's a slow process.... starting from making fun of different human features, finishing with gas chambers. We need to be aware of small things to prevent big ones. It's horrible what human to human can do...
#15
Statue of Orville L. Hubbard (Mayor of Dearborn) in Dearborn, Michigan, taken down on September 29, 2015 due to his strong views and policies supporting racial segregation.
#16
Statue of Robert Milligan (Scottish merchant) in the Museum of London Docklands, taken down on June 9, 2020 for him being a slave owner.
GumShoe359 4 years ago
Agree with other comments. We have history books. Statues are for deserving individuals who did amazing memorable things.
#17
Monument to Robert E. Lee (Confederate General) in New Orleans, Louisiana, taken down on May 19, 2017 as part of a removal of four monuments associated with the Confederacy.
Musashi 4 years ago
Public statues are a symbol of honor. Archaic statues, such as those of Roman tyrants, only belong in museums. History, if written as objectively as possible, will not forget the abject losers of the civil war. These deplorables authorized and administered the crime of human bondage the results of which we are still suffering. But they will not be lost to history just because they will no longer be allowed to be honored publicly.
#18
Statue of Michael Jackson (American singer) in London, though officially not stated, it is speculated that it was removed in September, 2013 due to sexual allegations against Jackson.
#19
Statue of Jefferson Davis in Frankfort, Kentucky, moved on June 13, 2020 by a vote of the Historic Properties Advisory Commission to the Jefferson Davis State Historic Site due to him being a slave owner.
Phil DeBlanc 4 years ago
He was more than a slave owner. He was the president of the Confederate States from 1861 to 1865.
#20
Bust of John Mcdonogh in New Orleans, Louisiana, taken down on June 13, 2020 for being a slave owner.
#21
Statue of Jerry Richardson (Former NFL Owner) in Charlotte, North Carolina, taken down to prevent possible vandalism due to allegations of sexual harassment and racist remarks to his former employees.
#22
Statue of Kate Smith (American singer) at the Xfinity Live! Philadelphia Arena, taken down on April 21, 2019 due to controversy surrounding her 1931 recordings of "That's Why Darkies Were Born" and "Pickaninny Heaven".
#23
Statue of Williams Carter Wickham in Richmond, Virginia, taken down on June 6, 2020 due to him being a slave owner.
Stille20 4 years ago
Yea. a lot of people owned slaves, that was a social norm. I think that isn't a reason to take down the statue... if they were in some way a symbol of racial oppression, that's another story. Also there is a difference between pulled over by protesters and the city removed it.
#24
Statue of Appomattox in Alexandria, Virginia, removed on June 2, 2020, was planned for removal after long discussions by the owner, United Daughters of the Confederacy.
#25
Jefferson Davis Memorial in Richmond, Virginia, taken down on June 10, 2020 by protesters for depicting Jefferson Davis, a slave owner.
Toea Muresan Iulia 4 years ago
if instead of him they put a godess or an eagle or something and make a fountain at his feet this could have been reused :)
#26
Monument to Robert E. Lee (Confederate General) in New Orleans, Louisiana, taken down on May 19, 2017 as part of a removal of four monuments associated with the Confederacy.
Katie South 4 years ago
Captioned incorrectly. That is a picture of JEB Stuart on Monument Ave in Richmond VA
#27
Statue of Charles Linn (Captain in the Confederate Navy) in Birmingham, Alabaman, toppled on May 31, 2020 by protestors who unsuccessfully attempted to remove the nearby Confederate Soldiers and Sailors Monument.
Valerie Finn 1 year ago (edited)
They attempted to remove a statue commemorating soliders who fought and died? These people are the worst; they deal on absolutes but nearly all absolutes are wrong because nothing is. They think all soliders except those on this side of history had no redeeming qualities or moral complexity to their characters. This is honouring the dead.
#28
Slave Auction Block in Fredericksburg, Virginia, taken down on June 5, 2020 as a symbol of racial oppression.
#29
Confederate Soldiers and Sailors Monument in Birmingham, Alabama, removed in June, 2020, said to be taken down to ease continuing unrest originating from the George Floyd protests.
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What do you think ?
Hans 4 years ago
History cannot be unmade. Educating people is more important than destroying pieces of art, even if they do not show people who deserve honour. Would you also destroy the masks of Pharaos? Undoubtedly, they had people killed and tortured and kept slaves. These masks document history and art thoguh. muesums are the right places for them!
BluEyedSeoulite 4 years ago
Most of these statues were erected decades after the Civil War at the beginning of the Civil Rights movement. They were erected to remind blacks they were inferior to whites. While you are arguing for education and historical significance, it would be good to know all of the facts. I don't see those little fact nuggets inscribed on the statues. Yet, they can be posted next to the statues in museums, just like the Pharaoh masks.
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zims 4 years ago
Important to remember that a good portion of these statues weren't made because they were important historical figures, but because they were wealthy men. Hopefully we can replace them with more deserving historical figures.
GirlFriday 4 years ago
Most of these statues were places in the early 60's at the height of the Civil Rights movement to remind black Americans that they were inferior to whites. They were placed as a monument to those that owned slaves so as to say to the black population, "See this guy, he owned slaves so we honor him. We are superior to you." It is saddest time in the US History.
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Chris DiFonso 4 years ago
If I am not mistaken, there were numerous requests made to government officials to take down at least some of these statues and the statues weren't removed. Please consider that before you condemn folks for taking them down. It's still happening - POTUS has been asked to rename military bases named after Confederate officers/officials and he has said he won't. And, if you are OK with the citizens of Iraq taking down the statue of Sadam Hussein but opposed people in America taking down statues of slave traders, opponents of segregation, men who committed acts of violence against women and/or children, you are a hypocrite as far as I am concerned.
Caroline Driver 4 years ago
POTUS is a far right sympathiser, straight up, and so all of those support him and love him and think he's'doing a great job'. I see nothing wrong with taking down these statues. Just because they were 'fine' once upon a time, doesn't mean they have to stay now that we find their origins offensive. They're just statues. It's not like anyone's being killed, just bronze or resin.
Load More Replies... Hans 4 years ago
History cannot be unmade. Educating people is more important than destroying pieces of art, even if they do not show people who deserve honour. Would you also destroy the masks of Pharaos? Undoubtedly, they had people killed and tortured and kept slaves. These masks document history and art thoguh. muesums are the right places for them!
BluEyedSeoulite 4 years ago
Most of these statues were erected decades after the Civil War at the beginning of the Civil Rights movement. They were erected to remind blacks they were inferior to whites. While you are arguing for education and historical significance, it would be good to know all of the facts. I don't see those little fact nuggets inscribed on the statues. Yet, they can be posted next to the statues in museums, just like the Pharaoh masks.
Load More Replies... zims 4 years ago
Important to remember that a good portion of these statues weren't made because they were important historical figures, but because they were wealthy men. Hopefully we can replace them with more deserving historical figures.
GirlFriday 4 years ago
Most of these statues were places in the early 60's at the height of the Civil Rights movement to remind black Americans that they were inferior to whites. They were placed as a monument to those that owned slaves so as to say to the black population, "See this guy, he owned slaves so we honor him. We are superior to you." It is saddest time in the US History.
Load More Replies... Chris DiFonso 4 years ago
If I am not mistaken, there were numerous requests made to government officials to take down at least some of these statues and the statues weren't removed. Please consider that before you condemn folks for taking them down. It's still happening - POTUS has been asked to rename military bases named after Confederate officers/officials and he has said he won't. And, if you are OK with the citizens of Iraq taking down the statue of Sadam Hussein but opposed people in America taking down statues of slave traders, opponents of segregation, men who committed acts of violence against women and/or children, you are a hypocrite as far as I am concerned.
Caroline Driver 4 years ago
POTUS is a far right sympathiser, straight up, and so all of those support him and love him and think he's'doing a great job'. I see nothing wrong with taking down these statues. Just because they were 'fine' once upon a time, doesn't mean they have to stay now that we find their origins offensive. They're just statues. It's not like anyone's being killed, just bronze or resin.
Load More Replies...
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