Historic US black activist’s statue toppled in New York
A statue of Frederick Douglass, 19th Century US black activist, has been toppled in New York state.
The statue appears to have been vandalised on July 5, the anniversary of a famous speech the former slave gave in 1852 in which he denounced Independence Day celebration as a sham, in a nation that still enslaved its black citizens.
A statue of Frederick Douglass was ripped from its base in Rochester, New York, on the anniversary of his famous speech “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July.” The statue was found in a gorge about 50 feet away, with damage to the base and a finger. — The Associated Press (@AP)
A statue of Frederick Douglass was ripped from its base in Rochester, New York, on the anniversary of his famous speech “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July.” The statue was found in a gorge about 50 feet away, with damage to the base and a finger. — The Associated Press (@AP) https://t.co/sxX8795UnzJuly 6, 2020
His statue, in the city of Rochester, could have been targeted in retaliation for attacks on monuments linked to slavery, activists said.
The leader of the group that erected the statue, Carvi Eison, said a new statue of Douglass would take its place.
No-one has so far claimed responsibility for the attack on the statue.
