Black Lives Matter protester Jen Reid said she ‘shed a tear’ when she saw a sculpture of her replace that of slave trader Edward Colston in Bristol on Wednesday. Artist Marc Quinn had the new statue installed without council permission. The statue replicates a photograph of Reid with her fist raised taken after the 17th century merchant was toppled by Black Lives Matter demonstrators last month Arriving in two lorries before 5am, a team of 10 people worked quickly to install the figure of Reid, who said she had been secretly working with Quinn on the idea for weeks
“The sculpture that has been installed today was the work and decision of a London based artist. It was not requested and permission was not given for it to be installed,” the mayor said. However, the police said they not received any complaints and it’s up to the city council whether or not it remains. Soon after the mayor tweeted “The city is setting up a process to determine what happens with the plinth [a plinth is the pedestal the stature rests on]. The people will decide its future.” .