A Downtown statue of Sir Winston Churchill has been vandalized after someone dumped red paint all across the replica of the former British prime minister.
Edmonton city police received a call around 10:45 a.m. on Thursday about the statue located at Sir Winston Churchill Square being vandalized. Downtown officers are investigating and police say the Edmonton Arts Council will be handling the cleanup
The paint was cleaned off by 2:30 p.m.
Churchill, who served as prime minister from 1940 to 1945 and again from 1951 to 1955, is seen as a national hero for his leadership during the Second World War but held many views that would be deemed racist.
Other statues of Churchill have been vandalized before, most notably the one in Parliament Square in London, which has been defaced several times.
Elisebeth Checkel, the president of the Sir Winston Churchill Society of Edmonton, said this is the first instance of the statue being vandalized that she’s heard of and was disappointed to see it happen
She said Churchill has a complicated legacy and believes it is important to look at him in a balanced way.
“If we look at any historical figure, we will find the same thing,” Checkel said. “If we look at almost any person from the 1880s, we would find their views were if not repugnant to us nowadays, we would find they were disagreeable for sure. If you look at Churchill’s later actions and life as he grew, as we all hope to do, his views did change. The balance should be celebrated because without Churchill we would not even have the right to protest in this country.”
Mayor Don Iveson said in a statement that he is aware of the vandalism but doesn’t know what the intent behind it was.
“I know historical monuments and sculptures, here and elsewhere, are at the heart of an emotional debate regarding what legacies and stories we venerate as a society,” he said. “The city welcomes healthy debate and discussion on issues of inclusiveness, and how we go about addressing historical wrongdoings and inequities like systemic racism.
“However, I believe there are more productive ways to move society along towards a more inclusive and uplifting future than vandalizing city property,” the mayor added.
Iveson said the city’s naming committee is currently reviewing and revising policy and a report is coming back to city council on Aug. 24.
