Bristol City Council (BCC) has requested that the toppled statue of Edward Colston be permanently displayed in a museum, as announced by the council on Monday.
The statue, representing the 17th-century merchant and Bristol benefactor, was pulled down, defaced, and thrown into the river during a Black Lives Matter (BLM) protest on June 7, 2020, due to Colston’s involvement in the transatlantic slave trade.
After being retrieved four days later, the damaged statue has been temporarily exhibited at the M Shed museum since 2021.
BCC has submitted an application to formally include the statue in the permanent collection of the Bristol City Council Museums service in its current condition, which includes red and blue spray paint.
The council’s Development Control Committee is scheduled to review the application on Feb. 21.
Should the proposals receive approval, the statue will be featured in an upcoming exhibition at M Shed focused on the theme of “protest,” slated to open in March 2024, according to the council.
