When Is Bristol's Colston Hall Changing Its Name?
After a statue of the slave-trader was hurled into the water...
More calls have emerged for Bristol's *Colston Hall* to supply clarity over its name-change.
The venue is one of many landmarks around the city named after Edward Colston, who bought and sold as many as 90,000 slaves - with up to one tenth perishing on the Atlantic journey alone.
A Black Lives Matter march in Bristol saw a controversial statue of the slave trader toppled, with the jubilant crowd then hurling it into the harbour.
The world is talking about #Bristol today
Here’s how the city’s #BlackLivesMatter protest unfolded. pic.twitter.com/y7QOm6Yo7k
— BBC Radio Bristol (@bbcrb) June 7, 2020
It's just one of many landmarks in the city, though, with schools, municipal buildings, and a famed concert hall all bearing his name.
Colston Hall is one of Bristol's most prestigious venues, yet its name means that the likes of seminal local group Massive Attack refuse to play there.
Currently closed during a refurbishment process, Colston Hall had previously explained that the name of the building *would change on its re-opening*, stating that it “acts as a symbol of division”.
That *process has been delayed due to COVID-19*, but in a statement made before the Bristol march the Colston Hall team re-affirmed themselves to supporting Black Lives Matter:
“We believe that we can’t be neutral on issues of racism. Our organisation is committed to challenging our ways of working to identify and eradicate inequality and it wouldn’t be write to stay silent...”
Bristol Music Trust unequivocally supports #TheShowMustBePaused solidarity campaign.
We believe we can't be neutral on issues of racism. Silence is not an option. #BlackOutTuesday (1/5) pic.twitter.com/pMVhg0UhY1
— Colston Hall (@Colston_Hall) June 2, 2020
The demonstration at the weekend has strengthened public calls to re-name the building:
Change your name then, it's not like hard. Bristolians have been asking you for YEARS
— (@Mysticfirebird) June 7, 2020
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