New Zealand city removes statue of British naval officer John Hamilton

Cities around the world are taking steps to remove statues that represent cultural or racial oppression as support grows for the Black Lives Matter movement following the death of George Floyd by police last month in Minneapolis. Demonstrations have taken part across the UK and there are concerns over the protection of monuments after a statue of slave trader Edward Colston was pulled down and dumped in Bristol’s harbour. City authorities said it was clear the statue was going to be vandalized, after Maori elder Taitimu Maipi this week told news organisation Stuff that he planned to tear it down himself.