Stirling Council Calls A Spade A Spade
Compare and contrast the strong condemnation of Stirling Council's leader over an act of wanton vandalism with the mealy-mouthed words of Glasgow City Council:
Scott Farmer, the leader of Stirling council, said: “We are disappointed to see the statue of Bruce vandalised in this way and are liaising with the National Trust for Scotland and our local heritage partners.
“To see such gratuitous vandalism against one of Scotland’s landmark statues is a senseless attack on a strong community and its history. This statue has no connection to the Black Lives Matter campaign and this attack could very well undermine the legitimate concerns raised by BLM.”
Well said Scott Farmer! - whereas Glasgow's pathetic "we cannot condone" message deserves nothing but contempt.
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/scotland/black-lives-matter-protesters-strike-out-at-robert-the-bruce-n8cmdpd88
BLACK LIVES MATTER
Black Lives Matter: Protesters strike out at Robert the Bruce
A worker jet-cleans a monument to Robert the Bruce at Bannockburn - ANDY BUCHANAN/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES
A worker jet-cleans a monument to Robert the Bruce at Bannockburn - ANDY BUCHANAN/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES
By Douglas Barrie - The Times
A statue of Robert the Bruce has been vandalised with graffiti labelling him a racist.
The words “racist king BLM” have been sprayed in white paint on the plinth of the statue at the Battle of Bannockburn site in Stirling and “Black Lives Matter” on the ground.
On the wall of the A-listed rotunda nearby, the words “Robert was a racist” and “bring down the statue” have been scrawled.
The National Trust for Scotland (NTS) condemned the vandalism and said a contractor would clean off the paint.
Stuart Maxwell, general manager for NTS in Edinburgh and the east, said: “We are very disappointed by the vandalism of the iconic Bruce statue at Bannockburn and the A-listed rotunda.
“This comes at a time when our charity is suffering serious financial hardship and this is a cost we could do without.
“We would like to thank the local community for their support in responding so quickly to this incident.”
Scott Farmer, the leader of Stirling council, said: “We are disappointed to see the statue of Bruce vandalised in this way and are liaising with the National Trust for Scotland and our local heritage partners.
“To see such gratuitous vandalism against one of Scotland’s landmark statues is a senseless attack on a strong community and its history. This statue has no connection to the Black Lives Matter campaign and this attack could very well undermine the legitimate concerns raised by BLM.”
The trust has said that the visitor centre at the site may not reopen until the 2022-23 season. Some of its properties have been deemed unable to comply with social distancing or sustain running costs even after the initial threat of coronavirus.
A Police Scotland spokesman said: “We were made aware on Friday of vandalism to the Battle of Bannockburn heritage site, near Stirling. Inquiries are ongoing.”
Assistant Chief Constable Kenny MacDonald has said he was aware that a small number of monuments and statues had been vandalised.
Mr MacDonald said: “Such action is criminal and will be fully investigated.”
Alyn Smith, SNP MP for the area, tweeted: “I’m aware with @RHBruceCrawford of vandalism at the Bannockburn site. @StirlingCouncil is on it and this will be cleared soon. I’ve been vocal in my support of #BlackLivesMatter and hope such counterproductive stupidity is an isolated incident.”
Meanwhile, Boris Johnson said it was “absurd and shameful” that the statue of Sir Winston Churchill in Parliament Square was at risk of vandalism and warned: “We cannot edit or censor the past.”
The prime minister said that statues “teach us about our past, with all its faults” and that tearing them down would mean lying about the nation’s history.
He urged people to stay away from protests this weekend and hit out at “indiscriminate” acts of violence, describing them as “intolerable” and “abhorrent”.
He intervened as the Churchill statue and the Cenotaph in Whitehall were boarded up amid concerns that they could be targeted by protesters this weekend.
Black Lives Matter has already called off a protest in London planned for today over concerns it will be targeted by the far right. However, localised protests are expected to take place in London, along with rallies elsewhere in Britain.
Mr Johnson said: “We should not support a protest, which in all probability looking at what has happened before, is going to end in deliberate and calculated violence.”
He had earlier defended the statute of Sir Winston on Twitter. He said: “The statue of Winston Churchill in Parliament Square is a permanent reminder of his achievement in saving this country — and the whole of Europe — from a fascist and racist tyranny.”
What a mealy-mouthed statement from Glasgow Council after anarchists vandalised local memorials in the city including one to the Highland Light Infantry.
“We cannot condone damage to public property and our community safety teams will link with police on how further damage can be avoided, including through the use of CCTV.”
Now you would think that Scotland's largest council would have a stronger message than 'we cannot condone' when it comes to this kind of ugly, intolerant, anti-social behaviour.
A statue of Robert the Bruce has been vandalised with graffiti labelling him a racist.
The words “racist king BLM” have been sprayed in white paint on the plinth of the statue at the Battle of Bannockburn site in Stirling and “Black Lives Matter” on the ground.
On the wall of the A-listed rotunda nearby, the words “Robert was a racist” and “bring down the statue” have been scrawled.
The National Trust for Scotland (NTS) condemned the vandalism and said a contractor would clean off the paint.
Stuart Maxwell, general manager for NTS in Edinburgh and the east, said: “We are very disappointed by the vandalism of the iconic Bruce statue at Bannockburn and the A-listed rotunda.
“This comes at a time when our charity is suffering serious financial hardship and this is a cost we could do without.
“We would like to thank the local community for their support in responding so quickly to this incident.”
Scott Farmer, the leader of Stirling council, said: “We are disappointed to see the statue of Bruce vandalised in this way and are liaising with the National Trust for Scotland and our local heritage partners.
“To see such gratuitous vandalism against one of Scotland’s landmark statues is a senseless attack on a strong community and its history. This statue has no connection to the Black Lives Matter campaign and this attack could very well undermine the legitimate concerns raised by BLM.”
The trust has said that the visitor centre at the site may not reopen until the 2022-23 season. Some of its properties have been deemed unable to comply with social distancing or sustain running costs even after the initial threat of coronavirus.
A Police Scotland spokesman said: “We were made aware on Friday of vandalism to the Battle of Bannockburn heritage site, near Stirling. Inquiries are ongoing.”
Assistant Chief Constable Kenny MacDonald has said he was aware that a small number of monuments and statues had been vandalised.
Mr MacDonald said: “Such action is criminal and will be fully investigated.”
Alyn Smith, SNP MP for the area, tweeted: “I’m aware with @RHBruceCrawford of vandalism at the Bannockburn site. @StirlingCouncil is on it and this will be cleared soon. I’ve been vocal in my support of #BlackLivesMatter and hope such counterproductive stupidity is an isolated incident.”
Meanwhile, Boris Johnson said it was “absurd and shameful” that the statue of Sir Winston Churchill in Parliament Square was at risk of vandalism and warned: “We cannot edit or censor the past.”
The prime minister said that statues “teach us about our past, with all its faults” and that tearing them down would mean lying about the nation’s history.
He urged people to stay away from protests this weekend and hit out at “indiscriminate” acts of violence, describing them as “intolerable” and “abhorrent”.
He intervened as the Churchill statue and the Cenotaph in Whitehall were boarded up amid concerns that they could be targeted by protesters this weekend.
Black Lives Matter has already called off a protest in London planned for today over concerns it will be targeted by the far right. However, localised protests are expected to take place in London, along with rallies elsewhere in Britain.
Mr Johnson said: “We should not support a protest, which in all probability looking at what has happened before, is going to end in deliberate and calculated violence.”
He had earlier defended the statute of Sir Winston on Twitter. He said: “The statue of Winston Churchill in Parliament Square is a permanent reminder of his achievement in saving this country — and the whole of Europe — from a fascist and racist tyranny.”
Glasgow - Mealy Mouthed Council (13/06/20)
What a mealy-mouthed statement from Glasgow Council after anarchists vandalised local memorials in the city including one to the Highland Light Infantry.
“We cannot condone damage to public property and our community safety teams will link with police on how further damage can be avoided, including through the use of CCTV.”
Now you would think that Scotland's largest council would have a stronger message than 'we cannot condone' when it comes to this kind of ugly, intolerant, anti-social behaviour.
https://www.glasgowtimes.co.uk/news/18506614.teams-rapid-removal-graffiti/
Teams in rapid removal of graffiti from Glasgow statues after BLM protests
By Stewart Paterson - Glasgow Times
Lord Roberts statue
Council teams have been cleaning up graffiti from statues after several across the city were targeted following anti racism protests in Glasgow.
Statues in George Square, Cathedral Square and Kelvingrove park were vandalised with slogans spray painted onto plinths
Three statues in Kelvingrove park were targeted.
Glasgow City Council said it was aware of the strong feelings towards links to slavery of certain individuals who have statues but cannot condone the vandalism of public monuments.
The bust of Thomas Carlyle at the bridge over the River Kelvin was sprayed.
Yards away on the opposite bank of the river, the memorial to the Highland Light Infantry was sprayed with BLM and an offensive anti police slogan.
At the top of the park at the Park Circus entrance the statue of Lord Roberts, who had led military in South Africa and India, was also sprayed with BLM.
In Cathedral Square the statue of King William III was also targeted with anti-police graffiti.
In George Square the statue of Robert Peel was daubed with paint and slogans.
The Grand Orange Lodge of Scotland condemned the vandalism and issued a statement along with a photograph of the damage to the King William Statue.
It said: “The Orange Order are rightly proud of the civil and religious liberties delivered by King William III that our citizens enjoy today.
“However civil rights and liberty come with a responsibility to act lawfully and uphold government medical advice not to gather publicly in order to protect lives.
“We call on the Leader of Glasgow City Council and the First Minister to condemn these offensive acts and provide Police Scotland with the necessary resource to protect our public memorials.”
The council condemned the vandalism and said work had already been started to look into how the city’s history with slavery is represented.
Council teams worked quickly on Sunday and Monday to remove the paint and return the statues to normal.
A spokesman for Glasgow City Council said: “The graffiti that appeared on statues in George Square, Kelvingrove Park and other places over the weekend has been removed or is in the course of being removed.
“We are acutely aware of the strength of feeling that exists over Glasgow’s links to trans-Atlantic slavery and the determination many have for change in how the city’s history should be regarded.
“We have commissioned an in-depth academic study on the city’s links to the historical slave trade and how that has shaped the streets, statues and buildings of modern Glasgow.
“The findings of this study will be put forward for consultation and the public’s voice will be heard on how the city should respond.
“We cannot condone damage to public property and our community safety teams will link with police on how further damage can be avoided, including through the use of CCTV.”
Teams in rapid removal of graffiti from Glasgow statues after BLM protests
By Stewart Paterson - Glasgow Times
Lord Roberts statue
Council teams have been cleaning up graffiti from statues after several across the city were targeted following anti racism protests in Glasgow.
Statues in George Square, Cathedral Square and Kelvingrove park were vandalised with slogans spray painted onto plinths
Three statues in Kelvingrove park were targeted.
Glasgow City Council said it was aware of the strong feelings towards links to slavery of certain individuals who have statues but cannot condone the vandalism of public monuments.
The bust of Thomas Carlyle at the bridge over the River Kelvin was sprayed.
Yards away on the opposite bank of the river, the memorial to the Highland Light Infantry was sprayed with BLM and an offensive anti police slogan.
At the top of the park at the Park Circus entrance the statue of Lord Roberts, who had led military in South Africa and India, was also sprayed with BLM.
In Cathedral Square the statue of King William III was also targeted with anti-police graffiti.
In George Square the statue of Robert Peel was daubed with paint and slogans.
The Grand Orange Lodge of Scotland condemned the vandalism and issued a statement along with a photograph of the damage to the King William Statue.
It said: “The Orange Order are rightly proud of the civil and religious liberties delivered by King William III that our citizens enjoy today.
“However civil rights and liberty come with a responsibility to act lawfully and uphold government medical advice not to gather publicly in order to protect lives.
“We call on the Leader of Glasgow City Council and the First Minister to condemn these offensive acts and provide Police Scotland with the necessary resource to protect our public memorials.”
The council condemned the vandalism and said work had already been started to look into how the city’s history with slavery is represented.
Council teams worked quickly on Sunday and Monday to remove the paint and return the statues to normal.
A spokesman for Glasgow City Council said: “The graffiti that appeared on statues in George Square, Kelvingrove Park and other places over the weekend has been removed or is in the course of being removed.
“We are acutely aware of the strength of feeling that exists over Glasgow’s links to trans-Atlantic slavery and the determination many have for change in how the city’s history should be regarded.
“We have commissioned an in-depth academic study on the city’s links to the historical slave trade and how that has shaped the streets, statues and buildings of modern Glasgow.
“The findings of this study will be put forward for consultation and the public’s voice will be heard on how the city should respond.
“We cannot condone damage to public property and our community safety teams will link with police on how further damage can be avoided, including through the use of CCTV.”
