A crowd-funder for the 4 Bristol defendants has gone live this minute - estimated required costs are going to be a min of 12 grand (btw, if you see some money in there already, it's nothing dodgy, it's just it was opened a few hours before for some private donations in order to have it hitting the ground running at midday):
#GladColstonsGone! Bristol Topplers’ Defence Fund!
On 7th June 2020, ten thousand people in Bristol succeeded where countless petitions, articles and other public objections had fallen short, removing a century-old public tribute to racism and slavery. For toppling the Colston statue, four of the ten thousand have been singled-out to face criminal damage charges and need our support before they go to trial later this year.
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The toppling of the Edward Colston statue was a cathartic piece of non-violent direct action that rippled across the globe, igniting debates around racism, slavery and what we consider to be our 'heritage', as well as prompting many more local organisations in Bristol (from institutions to buildings to street names) to drop the Colston name for good.
The four protesters facing charges are due to appear at Bristol Crown Court on the 13th December 2021 for a jury trial lasting up to eight days. That means hefty additional legal costs, along with lost income and other expenses that we hope the rest of the ten thousand people who brought the Colston statue down, and supporters around the world, will ensure are covered.