Report examines police response when Colston’s statue was toppled

Criticism of the police for not stepping in to try and prevent protestors from toppling Colston’s statue is misjudged, according to a new report.

Officers at the scene did not intervene when the monument of the notorious slave trader was brought down on June 7, a response that was widely commended by many but condemned by others.

A report commissioned by home secretary Priti Patel has concluded that by the time police saw what was happening “it was too late to take any action to prevent the damage without inflaming an already difficult situation and potentially causing serious disorder and injury”.

It forms part of Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services’ (HMICFRS) examination of how effectively police deal in Britain with protests in the wake of several high profile processions, highlighting issues such as climate change and racial inequality.

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HMICFRS inspectors also said the toppling of the statue was “difficult to predict” and state that without specific intelligence police could not have used powers under the Public Order Act to put any conditions on the route of the procession to prevent it.

The report says: “The police received a lot of criticism on social media and in the press following the damage to the statue. Having examined the facts, we don’t believe this criticism was fully justified.

“Without intelligence to suggest the protesters’ intentions, it would have been difficult to predict that the statue would be pulled down. In the UK, this is a very rare occurrence.”

The report also reveals the local area policing commander sent an email to senior leaders in Bristol City Council to alert them to the potential threat to the statue two days before the protest.

Inspectors heard the matter was discussed during an online strategic co-ordinating group meeting the day before the protest, where it was decided that preventing any low-level graffiti was “a lower priority than protecting life, minimising risk to public safety and reducing community tension, all of which may have resulted if serious disorder had been provoked”.

Responding to the report, Avon and Somerset Chief Constable Andy Marsh said: “I welcome this fair and measured report into our policing response to the Black Lives Matter protest, which resulted in the toppling of the Colston statue; an event which captured the world’s attention at a time of intense debate about ongoing racial injustice in society.

“The report recognises the toppling of the statue was not a spontaneous act and protestors had brought ropes to the location to carry out this act. There was no intelligence or indication to suggest this was going to take place ahead of the protest and the statue was brought down in the space of less than two minutes, giving us no time to respond.

“The inspectorate recognises many of the criticisms levelled at the response of our officers and staff have been unfair and that once the statue had been toppled, the situation would have been inflamed had we take action to stop it being rolled into the harbour, creating the potential for serious disorder and injury.

“One criticism regularly levelled at our force is why we allowed the protest to go ahead in the first place during a pandemic. It’s important to remember that when this event was held, an exemption was included within the national COVID-19 restrictions which permitted demonstrations to take place under specified circumstances.

“Our officers and staff undergo rigorous training to deal with the full range public order incidents and we have a proud history of facilitating and managing protests with fairness, legitimacy and proportionality at the heart of our policing operations.

“I whole-heartedly believe the command team made the right decisions on the day in extremely unique circumstances in the best interests of the communities we’re honoured to serve.”

The toppling of the slave trader made headlines across the world and has sparked ongoing conversations about confronting Bristol’s heritage, leading to the launch of a new history commission.

The four people who have been charged with criminal damage over the removal of the statue are due to face trial at Bristol Crown Court in December.

Photo: Colin Moody

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