Daily Times

Anti-racism campaigners have called on the British government to remove statues of Mahatma Gandhi for expressing hatred and racist views against black people.

The campaigners demanded the removal of Gandhi’s statue from two major locations in London and Leicester as Black Lives Matter movement gathers across the country for the dismantling of portraits of historic figures who were involved in racism.

Thousands of people have demanded the removal of controversial monuments and statues around the UK, which campaigners describe as racist and unwelcoming.

This campaign has brought focus on Gandhi as he was involved in expressing hatred and racism towards the black community.

In the last week during large scale protests against racism in the UK, Black Lives Matter protesters vandalised Mahatma Gandhi’s statue in Parliament Square, London, painting ‘racist’ on the pedestal steps and throwing white paint on the burnished bronze.

In Manchester, the council announced a city-wide review of all the statues in Manchester “to understand their history and context”. Councillor Luthfur Rahman said members of the public would also be asked for suggestions on “missing” statues.

“We also want to take this opportunity to ask the public who is missing – who should be celebrated but is not – with particular thought around representing the proud BAME [black and minority ethnic] history of Manchester and help to reflect the shared story of our diverse and multicultural city,” he said.

Manchester city council is under pressure to remove a statue of Sir Robert Peel in Piccadilly Gardens. Over a thousand people have signed a petition demanding the removal of the memorial to the two-time British prime minister, born in Bury in Greater Manchester, on the grounds that his father was known to be pro-slavery.