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.
#1
Bust of Bill Cosby (American comedian) in Walt Disney World, Orlando, Florida, taken down in July, 2015 due to accusations of sexual assault.
Image source: Walt Disney World
#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.
Image source: Man vyi
#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.
Image source: Audrey
#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.
Image source: John Scholte
#5
Statue of Edward Colston (English merchant) in Bristol, UK, taken down on 7 June, 2020 for his involvement in slave trade.
Image source: Simon Cobb
#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.
Image source: Unknown U.S. military or Department of Defense employee
#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.
Image source: Smash the Iron Cage, CBS6
#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.
Image source: Jim Kenney
#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.
Image source: Michael Rivera
#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.
Image source: Kenneth C. Zirkel
#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.
Image source: Kaya
#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.
Image source: Corgan
#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.
Image source: Danie van der Merwe , Tony Carr
#14
Dunham Massey Hall Sundial, taken down in June, 2020 as a degrading depiction of slavery during the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests.
Image source: Mike Peel
#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.
Image source: Anne B. Hood
#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.
Image source: Peter Trimming / Statue of Robert Milligan / CC BY-SA 2.0
#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.
Image source: Paulscrawl, Infrogmation of New Orleans
#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.
Image source: Patche99z
#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.
Image source: Daderot
#20
Bust of John Mcdonogh in New Orleans, Louisiana, taken down on June 13, 2020 for being a slave owner.
Image source: Infrogmation of New Orleans
#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.
Image source: USA Today
#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”.
Image source: Peetlesnumber1
#23
Statue of Williams Carter Wickham in Richmond, Virginia, taken down on June 6, 2020 due to him being a slave owner.
Image source: Richmond On The James, Andrew Ringle
#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.
Image source: Ser Amantio di NicolaoChe
#25
Jefferson Davis Memorial in Richmond, Virginia, taken down on June 10, 2020 by protesters for depicting Jefferson Davis, a slave owner.
Image source: Martin Falbisoner
#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.
Image source: Hal Jespersen
#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.
Image source: Daniel Uhlfelder, Mark Almond
#28
Slave Auction Block in Fredericksburg, Virginia, taken down on June 5, 2020 as a symbol of racial oppression.
Image source: Sarah Stierch
#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.
Image source: CBS
Follow Us
