Oxford College Criticised for Refusal to Remove Cecil Rhodes Statue
Aamna Mohid, The Guardian, May 20, 2021
Campaigners and politicians have condemned the University of Oxford for backtracking on its previous decision to remove a statue of the British imperialist Cecil Rhodes and ignore the views of an independent commission.
Oriel College, Oxford said on Thursday it would not “begin the legal process” of moving the statue at this stage owing to “regulatory and financial challenges” presented by its removal, despite a vote by the independent commission supporting its removal.
Anti-racism campaigners said it was a cynical betrayal and exposed the “insincerity” of the college’s stated commitment to change. The campaign group Rhodes Must Fall demanded “full transparency” on any communications from politicians and government officials from the college and whether the withdrawal of funding from alumni played a role in the latest decision.
The Oriel dons are right: Rhodes should not fall spectator.co.uk - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from spectator.co.uk Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
First published on Thu 20 May 2021 06.37 EDT
A University of Oxford college will not remove a statue of the British imperialist Cecil Rhodes despite an independent commission supporting its removal.
Oriel College said in a statement it would not “begin the legal process” of moving the Rhodes statue at this stage due to “regulatory and financial challenges” presented by its removal.
The statement also said the removal of the statue would be subject to legal and planning processes involving the secretary of state for housing, communities and local government, Robert Jenrick, who in January said he would introduce changes to the law to protect statues from what he called “baying mobs”.
An Oxford University college’s decision not to remove the statue of Cecil Rhodes has been called “a slap in the face” by campaigners.
The Rhodes Must Fall campaign accused Oriel College of “institutional racism” after the governing body said it would not seek to move the monument at this stage.
The campaigners – which staged protests last summer over the statue of the British imperialist – are urging the college “to reconsider their position immediately” as they pledged to continue their fight.
An independent inquiry to examine Rhodes’ legacy was set up in June last year after the governing body of Oriel College “expressed their wish” to remove the statue from outside the college.