Banksy supports ‘Colston four’: Street artist sells T-shirts to fund trial of four people accused of toppling Bristol statue of slave trader Edward Colston
- The anonymous stret artist designed the tees to raise funds for those on trial
- The designs feature the empty plinth on which the Colston statue stood
- Bristol’s statue of slaver Edward Colston was pulled down and dumped in Bristol Harbour during last summer’s Black Lives Matter protests
- Four people are on trial for criminal damage charges relating to the statue
- The tees retail at £25 plus VAT and all the funds will be going to the accused
- Thousands queued outside five Bristol shops to get their hands on the limited edition Banksy merchandise
Thousands of people have queued outside shops in Bristol to buy limited edition T-shirts designed by world-famous street artist Banksy, in support of alleged BLM activists.
Five stores across the city were each selling several hundred of the grey souvenir shirts, in aid of the four people facing trial in relation to the toppling of a statue of slave trader Edward Colston.
The statue was hurled into Bristol harbour during Black Lives Matter protests last summer.
The limited edition tops went on sale in Bristol today to support Rhian Graham, 29, Milo Ponsford, 25, Jake Skuse, 36, and Sage Willoughby, 21, who are on trial accused of criminal damage.
The anonymous artist designed the t-shirts himself and they feature a picture of Colston’s empty plinth with a rope hanging off, with debris and a discarded sign nearby and BRISTOL written above.
He said proceeds from the sale will be given to the four people facing trial next week in the city accused of criminal damage.
The anonymous artist designed the t-shirts himself and they feature a picture of Colston’s empty plinth with a rope hanging off
The bronze memorial to the 17th century slave merchant was pulled down during a Black Lives Matter protest on June 7 last year
Banksy said proceeds from the sale will be given to the four people facing trial next week in the city accused of criminal damage.
The names of the five shops – Frontline Video in St Paul’s, Hakuna Matata, That Thing, Friendly Recs and Rough Trade – were announced on Saturday by local radio station Ujima Radio.
Hundreds of people queued outside the Rough Trade record shop in Bristol, among them brother and sister Tom and Rosie Levins.
‘When we got in the queue, I don’t think we were really confident,’ Miss Levins said.
Her brother added: ‘I collect all the Banksy stuff I can get hold off. When stuff comes up in Bristol and you get a chance…’
The defendants are accused of committing the offence ‘intending to destroy or damage such property or being reckless as to whether such property would be destroyed or damaged’.
The bronze memorial to the 17th century slave merchant was pulled down during a Black Lives Matter protest on June 7 last year, before being dumped in Bristol Harbour and later recovered by Bristol City Council.
The limited editon tops went on sale in Bristol today to support Rhian Graham, 29, Milo Ponsford, 25, Jake Skuse, 36, and Sage Willoughby, 21, who are on trial accused of criminal damage
The defendants are accused of committing the offence ‘intending to destroy or damage such property or being reckless as to whether such property would be destroyed or damaged’.
In a post on social media, Banksy said: ‘Next week the four people charged with pulling down Colston’s statue in Bristol are going on trial.
‘I’ve made some souvenir shirts to mark the occasion. Available from various outlets in the city from tomorrow. All proceeds to the defendants so they can go for a pint.’
Bristol-based Banksy said sales would be limited to one per person and each T-shirt would cost £25 plus VAT.