Lord Nelson statue in National Heroes’ Square.
Government is being urged to state definitely when the statue of Lord Nelson will be removed from National Heroes’ Square in The City.
Over the years there have been repeated calls for the ‘Nelson Statue’ to be moved, and in recent times those calls were stepped up and resulted last month in the Minister with responsibility for Culture, John King, announcing that its prime location in Bridgetown was to be no more. In that statement released through the Government Information Service at the time, it was also revealed that Cabinet agreed there should be further public consultation on the identification of a location for the statue, adding that it was intended that the removal and determination of a new location would take place during the Season of Emancipation, which ends on August 23.
With just a few days before that date, General Secretary of the Caribbean Movement for Peace and Integration (CMPI), David Denny wants an update from Government as soon as possible. Moreover, he is calling for the removal of the statue to be a public event.
“The Caribbean Movement for Peace and Integration wants the Government of Barbados to issue a statement, so that the people of Barbados would know the date and time that Lord Nelson would be removed from our National Heroes’ Square, because we feel very strongly that this activity in relation to the removal of Lord Nelson should be a public activity, so that the people of Barbados can go there and witness the removal of Lord Nelson from our National Heroes Square,” the CMPI General Secretary stated.
Denny added in the statement released to the media yesterday afternoon, that the CMPI intends to organise another protest this Saturday, August 22 in an effort to “strengthen” their position as it relates to the removal of the controversial statue. Likewise, he said Saturday’s protest will also be an opportunity “to celebrate that long walk, that long struggle”, which began with the Bussa Rebellion in 1816, into the 1937 Riots, to today with the call for the removal of Lord Nelson.
“This is an important thing for us,” he insisted.
His remarks came he reiterated that the CMPI though pleased that the Government of Barbados agreed to remove the statue, believes that Government must be prepared to provide the public with those details.