Grave of Scipio Africanus, a slave, vandalised in Bristol in apparent 'retaliation' for toppled statue
British officials said Thursday the grave of an enslaved African man has been vandalised in an apparent "retaliation attack" after protesters in the city of Bristol toppled the statue of a prominent slave trader.
Two headstones in memory of Scipio Africanus, who lived in Bristol in the 18th century, were smashed. A message scrawled in chalk nearby called for the statue of Edward Colston to be put back or "things will really heat up."
READ MORE: Slave trader statue in UK city toppled and rolled into harbour
The brightly-painted memorial, in a churchyard in Henbury, Bristol, is listed as a structure of historical interest to be preserved.
The damaged headstone of Scipio Africanus at St Mary's Churchyard on June 18, 2020 in Bristol, England. Getty
A headstone to Scipio Africanus behind a padlocked gate at the entrance to St Mary's Church on June 18, 2020 in Bristol, England. Getty
"This looks like a retaliation attack for the recent events involving the Colston statue," local official Mark Weston said.
Police said they have received a report of criminal damage to a monument at Henbury Parish Church. It said it believed the incident took place on Tuesday or Wednesday, and appealed for anyone with information to come forward.
Historic England said the tomb was an early example of a memorial to a man born into slavery and who ended his life as a servant in an English aristocratic household. He died on December 12, 1720.
During his life, Scipio Africanus was a servant to Charles Howard, the 7th Earl of Suffolk.
A man looks at the damaged headstone of Scipio Africanus at St Mary's Church on June 18, 2020 in Bristol, England. The headstone of African man Scipio Africanus who was enslaved in the 18th Century has been smashed in two at St Mary's Churchyard. Getty
Earlier this month, protesters attending a Black Lives Matter demonstration toppled a bronze statue of Colston from its plinth in Bristol city centre. The statue was dragged to the harbour and dumped into the water.
Bristol officials have retrieved the statue and said it will be displayed in a museum, together with placards from the anti-racism protest.
Protesters pull down a statue of slave trader Edward Colston during a Black Lives Matter protest rally on College Green, Bristol, England, Sunday June 7, 2020, in response to the recent killing of George Floyd by police officers in Minneapolis, USA, that has led to protests in many countries and across the US. AP
– Reported with Associated Press
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