The statue of Cecil Rhodes at Oriel College, Oxford, should be turned to face the wall in shame, the sculptor Antony Gormley has proposed. It comes after Oriel decided to retain the statue, despite the findings of an independent commission that backed its removal. Gormley said the statue should stay, the FT reported. Rhodes was instrumental in the establishment of the British colony of Rhodesia, covering what is now Zambia and Zimbabwe, and set up the diamond company De Beers. A campaign to remove statues of Rhodes began in Africa in 2015, and led swiftly to one being removed from the University of Cape Town.

Source: The Guardian May 29, 2021 09:45 UTC