Boris Johnson says UK anti-racism protests ‘hijacked by extremists’
- British PM says protesters are attacking national monuments in an effort to ‘censor our past’
- A statue of Churchill outside parliament was defaced last weekend during ‘Black Lives Matter’ rallies sparked by George Floyd’s death
.png?itok=arIb17P0)
“It is clear that the protests have been sadly hijacked by extremists intent on violence,” Johnson said in a statement issued on Twitter.
Police have boarded up prominent statues around London ahead of a new wave of demonstrations and rallies this weekend.
Johnson called the targeting of Churchill “absurd and shameful”.
“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,” said Johnson, who lists the wartime leader as one of his personal heroes.
“Yes, he sometimes expressed opinions that were and are unacceptable to us today, but he was a hero, and he fully deserves his memorial,” Johnson wrote.
“We cannot now try to edit or censor our past. We cannot pretend to have a different history,” said Johnson.
“The statues in our cities and towns were put up by previous generations.”
Colonial figures reassessed worldwide after George Floyd’s death
A “Black Lives Matter” group in London said it was calling off a planned protest on Saturday because the presence of far-right activists would make it unsafe, though some anti-racism demonstrators are still likely to gather..
He said far-right groups planned to “provoke violence, and their only goal is to distract and hijack this important issue.
“Staying home and ignoring them is the best response this weekend.”
Additional reporting by Associated Press
