Jen Reid: Last News

Black Lives Matter protester that replaced the statue of slave trader Edward Colston has been taken down.

Edward Colston was toppled and thrown into Bristol Harbour by protesters in June this year. The statue, which originally stood on Colston Avenue in Bristol’s city centre, was forcibly removed during a Black Lives Matter march, before being quietly dredged up by Bristol City Council at 5am the next day.

The empty plinth where a statue of slave trader Edward Colston once stood in Bristol has been replaced by a new sculpture of a black woman who took part in a Black Lives Matter protest.Contemporary artist Marc Quinn created the black and resin steel piece of protester Jen Reid, who was photographed standing on the plinth after the Colston statue was toppled during the march.The artwork entitled A Surge of Power (Jen Reid), was erected shortly before 5am on Wednesday by Quinn’s team - but without the prior knowledge of Bristol City Council.Mayor Marvin Rees previously stated that any decision on a replacement statue would be decided democratically through consultation.After the sculpture was installed, Mrs Reid stood in front of it with her