Campaigners have welcomed the removed of the statue of Robert Milligan, an 18th century Scottish merchant whose fortune derived from slave trading, from outside the London Docklands Museum on West India Quay.

The statue was removed by Tower Hamlets Council after the go-ahead was given by the Canal and River Trust, which owns the land. The move follows widespread condemnation of such statues and monuments in the wake of the global protests sparked by the death of George Floyd in the United States. The statue of Edward Colston, who drew his wealth from slavery, was torn down in Bristol earlier in the week.

Meanwhile, as the furore continues, Goldsmiths, University of London, in New Cross has launched a public consulation about the future of four statues, three of whom are of figures linked to the slave trade, which are on the front of historic Deptford Town Hall, the college’s administrative headquarters. Paint was thrown over them this week.

Milligan was one of the biggest contributors behind the construction of London’s West India Docks, which were at the centre of the Docklands area. His family fortune was made from a Jamaican sugar plantation where over 500 black people were enslaved.

Tower Hamlets Councillor Ehtasham Haque, whose petition to remove the statue attracted 5,000 signatures in just three days told Eastlondonlines: “I feel liberated that the statue has been removed. There has been a lot of solidarity from the community in regards to the ‘Black Lives Matter’ campaign. The Black Lives Matter movement has given us confidence to say what is wrong with society and the institution.”

He added: “Having a statue of a slave trader that exploited human beings and also being gloried, that’s very offensive to our current suffering. [The Canal and River Trust] gave into the pressure.”

The Museum of London Docklands said numerous attempts have been made to have the statue removed retrospectively and it supported the removal. It acknowledged that the statue had been “sitting uncomfortably outside the museum… for a long time”. “At the Museum of London we stand against upholding structures that reproduce violence and have previously engaged in interventions that critically engage with pro-slavery lobbying.”

The Canal and River Trust said it had only recently been made aware of the of the strong feeling in the community against the statue. Lucy Greenwood, community and campaigns manager for the Trust told ELL: “The Trust are a wellbeing charity we value diversity, equality and inclusion. We respect the wishes of our partners the London Borough of Tower Hamlets who represent the views of their local residents, and the London Docklands Museum who bear witness to local history. We made a decision that was right for the Docklands based on what our partners and local community representatives in the local area were telling us.”

The statute is currently being stored in a council facility and a joint meeting of The Canal and River Trust, The Museum of London Docklands and prominent members of the community will decide on its fate.  

The spotlight on statues follows a long running protest last year by BAME students at Goldsmiths, University of London who were campaigning for the prominent statues on the front of its administrative offices, the former Deptford Town Hall, In New Cross, to be taken down. The campaign led to a sign being posted on the front of the building and a statement on the college’s website, but in the wake of this week’s debate, the college has now gone further and announced a public consultation.

Four prominent statues on the front of the building represent four naval figures: Francis Drake, a pioneer of the slave trade. Robert Blake an admiral who fought the Dutch to secure the trade triangle between the Caribbean, West Africa and England, Horatio Nelson, the who developed an affinity with the slave owners in the Caribbean, using his influence to argue against the abolitionist movement in Britain. The fourth statue is said to just be a ‘representative’ figure.  Campaigners have also called for the removal of Nelson’s statue in Trafalgar Square.

Last year the Goldsmiths Anti-Racist Action (GARA) which led a BAME protest and occupation of the Town Hall over a number of issues also demanded the removal of the statues . They told ELL at the time that “keeping the figures on the building of one London’s most diverse universities further perpetuated that kind of racist behaviour.”

Goldsmiths said today that over the coming weeks that individual students, student representative groups, employees, local residents and local representative groups and local elected representatives will be invited to give their views on what should happen to the statues. The college has also asked for the statues to be included in the Commission for Diversity in the Public Realm being undertaken by Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London.

Professor Frances Corner, Warden of Goldsmiths, said: “The anger and upset provoked by these statues is clear and we hear and value these voices. It is vital the College responds and we will work urgently with our community to find a shared way forward.

“We remain committed to our comprehensive action plan addressing issues of racial justice at Goldsmiths and improving the experiences of BME students and colleagues.”