Beautiful Virgin Islands

Tuesday, Jun 03, 2025

Statues of Queen Victoria & QE II torn down in Canada

Statues of Queen Victoria & QE II torn down in Canada

A prominent statue of Queen Victoria and a statue of Queen Elizabeth II have has been torn down by protesters in Canada as anger grows over the deaths of indigenous children at residential schools.

The protesters cheered as the statue at the legislature in Manitoba's capital Winnipeg was toppled on Thursday, July 1, 2021, the BBC has reported.

The toppling of the statues came on Canada Day, an annual celebration on July 1 that marks the country's founding by British colonies in 1867.

A seemingly insensitive British government condemned the toppling of the two statues.

"We obviously condemn any defacing of statues of the Queen," a spokesman said.

A statue of Queen Elizabeth II lies facedown in the dirt in Canada.


UK defends preservation of relics of slavery in VI


The toppling of the statues brings to memory the insensitive and even “racist” statement by ex-controversial governor of the Virgin Islands, Augustus J. U. Jaspert, who had said the Virgin Islands should not look forward to reparations for slavery as it was not a consideration of the UK and that names of landmarks in honour of slave owners and facilitators of slavery be preserved in the VI.

After slavery was abolished, the UK government pledged £20 million in order to reimburse the owners of slaves. It took that country 182 years to pay that debt which they finished paying in 2015.

To date, the victims of slavery and their descendants have never received reparations.

The toppling of the statues brings to memory the insensitive and even ‘racist’ statement by ex-controversial governor of the Virgin Islands, Augustus J. U. Jaspert, who had said the Virgin Islands should not look forward to reparations for slavery as it was not a consideration of the UK and that names of landmarks in honour of slave owners and facilitators of slavery be preserved in the VI.


System of control?


After many commentators had been calling for places in the VI named after slave traders, thieves and murders, to be renamed, Mr Jaspert, in an interview with 284 Media on September 7, 2021, indicated that he shared a difference in opinion, which is to preserve the names of landmarks that were named after the very people, like Sir Francis Drake, who inflicted decades of harm and suffering on the ancestors of Virgin Islanders and other Caribbean people.

“I think it’s really important that people are taught the history and taught to understand… a specific name change maybe takes it away, rather actually explaining and making sure that people understand what these various different symbols, names and places meant and understand the full history around them.”

Many Virgin Islanders took offence to Governor Jaspert’s insensitive stance and calls were even made for him to apologise; however, Mr Jaspert never did.

After the UK government supported Mr Jaspert’s position, Premier Andrew A. Fahie (R1) commented: “Whenever persons tell you to remember anything negative, it’s a matter of control. If you do anything wrong as a child, and you try to do it again, your parents tell you ‘remember what happened last time?’ and you get frightened right away. It’s a subliminal message of control.”

Mr Jaspert departed these shores days after calling a Commission of Inquiry into the Government of the Virgin Islands, who he was known to be antagonistic towards and reportedly tried to bully.

The CoI was also announced via a press release on Martin Luther King Jr Day, a day observed by many in the VI due to their close ties with the United States.

Many have seen this as yet another act of being insensitive towards the descendants of slaves in the VI.

Black Lives Matter demonstrators tore down a statue of slave trader Edward Colston and threw it into a harbour during a protest in the city of Bristol, United Kingdom, on June 7, 2020.


Indigenous children suffered during UK reign in Canada


More than 150,000 indigenous Canadian children were taken from their families and forced to attend the schools during the 19th and 20th Centuries with the aim of forcibly assimilating them into society.

An estimated 6,000 children died while attending these schools. Students were often housed in poorly built, poorly heated and unsanitary facilities.

A group of protesters had marched on the Manitoba Legislature as part of a demonstration against the deaths of indigenous Canadian children at residential schools.

British monarch from 1837 until her death in 1901, Queen Victoria was on the throne during the founding of the Canadian confederation. The British Crown negotiated treaties with indigenous First Nations in Canada and the government enacted its residential schools policy during her reign.

It is believed Edward Colston sold about 100,000 west African people in the Caribbean and the Americas between 1672 and 1689 and it was through this company that Colston made the bulk of his fortune, using profits to move into money lending.


Colonialism still being felt in Canada- Residential school survivor


A survivor of a residential school, Belinda Vandenbroeck, told Canadian broadcaster CBC she felt no remorse about the toppling of the statue, which she had had no part in.

"She [Queen Victoria] means nothing to me except that her policies and her colonialism is what is dictating us right to this minute as you and I speak," Ms Vandenbroeck said.

Symbols of empire, colonialism and slavery have been targeted by protesters at demonstrations against racial injustice across the globe in the past year. Those demonstrations exploded worldwide following the death of African-American man George Floyd in May 2020.

Relics of slavery torn down in US & UK


Last year, several prominent statues of Confederate leaders and slave owners were torn down and vandalised in the US, generating heated debate about monuments.

Similar scenes were seen in the UK, where Black Lives Matter demonstrators tore down a statue of slave trader Edward Colston and threw it into a harbour during a protest in the city of Bristol.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
China Accuses US of Violating Trade Truce
Panama Port Owner Balances US-China Pressures
France Implements Nationwide Outdoor Smoking Ban to Protect Children
German Chancellor Merz Keeps Putin Guessing on Missile Strategy
Mandelson Criticizes UK's 'Fetish' for Abandoning EU Regulations
British Fishing Boat Owner Fined €30,000 by French Authorities
Dutch government falls as far-right leader Wilders quits coalition
Harvard Urges US to Unfreeze Funds for Public Health Research
Businessman Mauled by Lion at Luxury Namibian Lodge
Researchers Consider New Destinations Beyond the U.S.
53-Year-Old Doctor Claims Biological Age of 23
Trump Struggles to Secure Trade Deals With China and Europe
Russia to Return 6,000 Corpses Under Ukraine Prisoner Swap Deal
Microsoft Lays Off Hundreds More Amid Restructuring
Harvey Weinstein’s Publicist Embraces Notoriety
Macron and Meloni Seek Unity Despite Tensions
Trump Administration Accused of Obstructing Deportation Cases
Newark Mayor Sues Over Arrest at Immigration Facility
Center-Left Candidate Projected to Win South Korean Presidency
Trump’s Tariffs Predicted to Stall Global Economic Growth
South Korea’s President-Elect Expected to Take Softer Line on Trump and North Korea
Trump’s China Strategy Remains a Geopolitical Puzzle
Ukraine Executes Long-Range Drone Strikes on Russian Airbases
Conservative Karol Nawrocki wins Poland’s presidential election
Study Identifies Potential Radicalization Risk Among Over One Million Muslims in Germany
Good news: Annalena Baerbock Elected President of the UN General Assembly
Apple Appeals EU Law Over User Data Sharing Requirements
South Africa: "First Black Bank" Collapses after Being Looted by Owners
Poland will now withdraw from the EU migration pact after pro-Trump nationalist wins Election
"That's Disgusting, Don’t Say It Again": The Trump Joke That Made the President Boil
Trump Cancels NASA Nominee Over Democratic Donations
Paris Saint-Germain's Greatest Triumph Is Football’s Lowest Point
OnlyFans for Sale: From Lockdown Lifeline to Eight-Billion-Dollar Empire
Mayor’s Security Officer Implicated | Shocking New Details Emerge in NYC Kidnapping Case
Hegseth Warns of Potential Chinese Military Action Against Taiwan
OPEC+ Agrees to Increase Oil Output for Third Consecutive Month
Jamie Dimon Warns U.S. Bond Market Faces Pressure from Rising Debt
Turkey Detains Istanbul Officials Amid Anti-Corruption Crackdown
Taylor Swift Gains Ownership of Her First Six Albums
Bangkok Ranked World's Top City for Remote Work in 2025
Satirical Sketch Sparks Political Spouse Feud in South Korea
Indonesia Quarry Collapse Leaves Multiple Dead and Missing
South Korean Election Video Pulled Amid Misogyny Outcry
Asian Economies Shift Away from US Dollar Amid Trade Tensions
Netflix Investigates Allegations of On-Set Mistreatment in K-Drama Production
US Defence Chief Reaffirms Strong Ties with Singapore Amid Regional Tensions
Vietnam Faces Strategic Dilemma Over China's Mekong River Projects
Malaysia's First AI Preacher Sparks Debate on Islamic Principles
White House Press Secretary Criticizes Harvard Funding, Advocates for Vocational Training
France to Implement Nationwide Smoking Ban in Outdoor Spaces Frequented by Children
×