A new report from the Policy Exchange think tank has revealed that London’s Metropolitan Police compiled a list of public monuments and statues it deemed “contentious” after the Black Lives Matter movement’s resurgence in 2020.
Among the monuments were the statue of British wartime leader Sir Winston Churchill, which stands in Parliament Square, and the Cenotaph, constructed to honour the “Glorious Dead” following World War I.
According to the report, Churchill’s statue was included in the list due to his support for the British Empire, and the report cited questionable historic accounts, such as the claim that he orchestrated the 1943-44 Bengal famine.
However, the claim that Churchill was responsible for the deaths of millions of Indians has been disputed by Nobel Prize-winning economist Amartya Sen.
The Cenotaph has also been dubiously linked to imperialism, slavery, and racism by activists.
The report calls for stricter policing around the areas surrounding Parliament and for the Westminster City Council to implement a public space protection order to prevent anti-social behaviour in the area.
Source: Churchill Statue, National War Memorial Placed on Secret Police ‘Contentious’ Monuments List
