Home Secretary Priti Patel has said the police have her 'full backing', and has accused a 'criminal minority' of Black Lives Matter protesters of 'thuggery'. To read more, click here:
Boris Johnson tweeted on Sunday:"These demonstrations have been subverted by thuggery - and they are a betrayal of the cause they purport to serve.Marvin Rees, the mayor of Bristol, told Sky News that the statue was an"affront", but will still"highly likely" end up in a museum.Speaking on Kay Burley@Breakfast, Mr Rees said that"as an elected politician I cannot condone criminal damage".
But he added:"I can't pretend, as the son of a Jamaican migrant myself, that the presence of that statue to a slave trader in the middle of the city was anything other than a personal affront to me and people like me."Home Secretary Priti Patel said the toppling of the statue was"utterly disgraceful" and"undermines" anti-racism protests.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said the statue should not have been torn down, but added that it was wrong for it to have remained in place for so long.Andy Marsh, chief constable of Avon and Somerset Police, defended his officers after they were criticised for not intervening. In a video posted to social media, he said:"To arrest suspects would likely lead to injuries to suspects, injuries to officers, and people who were not involved in damaging property being thrown into a very violent confrontation with the police that could have had serious ramifications for the city of Bristol and beyond."Mr Marsh said"enough is enough", adding:"I shall be calling for urgent action from the commissioner.
"Our leaders have to respond and kit us up correctly and make sure we are fully prepared for what is taking place," he said.
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