Lewis Hamilton supports Black Lives Matter protesters tearing down statue of 17th century slave trader in Bristol as F1 star asks 'which one is next?'
- Protesters were shown bringing the statue of Edward Colston down in Bristol
- Lewis Hamilton showed his support for Sunday's demonstrators on Instagram
- The F1 star has called for governments worldwide to implement such changes
Lewis Hamilton has shown his support for the Black Lives Matter protesters who tore down a statue of a 17th century slave trader in Bristol on Sunday.
Protesters were shown bringing the statue of Edward Colston down after tying ropes around it, before dumping the heavy metal in the harbour.
And F1 star Hamilton took to Instagram to support the actions of the protesters, by saying on his story: 'Slave trader Edward Colston statute pulled down!!!
Lewis Hamilton has supported the Black Lives Matter protesters who tore down a statue
Protesters were shown bringing 17th century slave trader Edward Colston's statue down
'Our country honoured a man who sold African slaves! All statues of racist men who made money from selling a human being should be torn down!'
Hamilton then proposed an interesting question, asking: 'Which one is next?' followed by an emoji of a fist.
In a separate story post, the six-time British world champion added: ' I challenge government officials worldwide to make these changes and implement the peaceful removal of these racist symbols.'
And F1 star Hamilton showed his support for the incident in Bristol by posting on Instagram
Footage from Bristol showed demonstrators, packed closely together - despite social distancing guidelines, heaving the metal monument down with ropes before cheering and dancing around it.
Many also placed their knees on the fallen statue as it lay on the ground, before several were heard laughing and cheering as the statue of the slave trader was toppled into the harbour.
Following the destruction of the statue in Bristol today former Chancellor of the Exchequer Sajid Javid condemned protesters' decision to force it down, declaring on Twitter: 'This is not OK'. Home Secretary Priti Patel branded the act as 'utterly disgraceful'.
Speaking after the demonstration, superintendent Andy Bennett vowed there would be an investigation into the 'act of criminal damage,' near Bristol Harbourside, where slave ships once docked centuries ago.
Hamilton also urged governments across the world to implement such changes worldwide
Other demonstrations across the country saw one demonstrator 'try to set fire' to the Union flag on Cenotaph, while missiles and fireworks were thrown at police officers in London.
Hamilton's social media comments come after he opened up on the horrific racist abuse he suffered as a child that left him with 'negative psychological effects that cannot be measured'.
The Brit was one of the only few black drivers in what is otherwise a white dominated sport and the abuse he suffered while growing up forced him to take up karate to learn how to defend himself from attacks.
On an Instagram post, he wrote: 'I've been reading every day to try to stay on top of everything that's been happening in our fight against racism, and it's brought back so many painful memories from my childhood. Vivid memories of the challenges I faced when I was a kid, as I'm sure many of you who have experienced racism or some sort of discrimination have faced.
The world champion's comments come after he revealed the racial abuse he has suffered
'I have spoken so little about my personal experiences because I was taught to keep it in, don’t show weakness, kill them with love and beat them on the track. But when it was away from the track, I was bullied, beaten and the only way I could fight this was to learn to defend myself, so I went to karate. The negative psychological effects cannot be measured.
'This is why I drive the way I do, it is far deeper than just doing a sport, I’m still fighting. Thank God I had my father, a strong black figure who I could look up to, that I knew understood and would stand by my side no matter what. Not all of us have that but we need to stand together with those who may not have that hero to lean on and protect them.'
Hamilton also called out his F1 peers earlier in the week over their silence on the George Floyd incident that led to anti-racist protests across the world.
Hamilton also called out his F1 peers this week over their silence on the George Floyd incident
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