Cecil Rhodes WON’T fall: Bosses of Oxford’s Oriel College REJECT calls to tear down statue of British colonialist due to ‘financial challenges’ after BLM-inspired inquiry said it should be removed
- Oriel College’s decision comes after a long-running campaign to remove statue
- An independent inquiry to examine Rhodes’ legacy was set up in June amid BLM
- The governing body ‘expressed their wish’ to remove the statue from the college
- A majority of members on the Commission supported the college’s original wish
- But Oriel said today ‘it has decided not to begin the legal process for relocation’
The governing body of an Oxford University college will not take down a statue of Cecil Rhodes due to ‘regulatory and financial challenges’ presented by its removal.
Oriel College’s decision comes after a long-running campaign demanding the removal of the British imperialist’s monument.
An independent inquiry to examine Rhodes’ legacy was set up in June after the governing body ‘expressed their wish’ to remove the statue from outside the college.
A majority of members on the Commission supported the college’s original wish to remove the Rhodes’ statue.
But a statement by Oriel College on Thursday said: ‘In light of the considerable obstacles to removal, Oriel’s governing body has decided not to begin the legal process for relocation of the memorials.’
The monument, which was the target of BLM protests last year, needs to be taken down along with a plaque to the colonialist in the city, the commission claimed
It added: ‘The Commission backed the College’s original wish (made in June 2020 and reaffirmed again by the College yesterday), to remove the statue, whilst acknowledging the complex challenges and costs presented by its removal in terms of heritage and planning consent.
‘The governing body has carefully considered the regulatory and financial challenges, including the expected time frame for removal, which could run into years with no certainty of outcome, together with the total cost of removal.’
The College said it will instead focus its time and resources on ‘improving educational equality, diversity and inclusion amongst its student cohort and academic community’.
Lord Mendoza, provost of Oriel College, said: ‘It has been a careful, finely balanced debate and we are fully aware of the impact our decision is likely to have in the UK and further afield.
The inquiry said Oriel College could fund two fellowships in subjects related to Rhodes’ legacy, create scholarships for students from Africa and hold an annual lecture on him
‘We understand this nuanced conclusion will be disappointing to some, but we are now focused on the delivery of practical actions aimed at improving outreach and the day-to-day experience of BME students.
‘We are looking forward to working with Oxford City Council on a range of options for contextualisation.’
The inquiry was launched by Oriel last June as the Black Lives Matter movement picked up steam.
Its findings were expected in January but have faced delays due to the Covid pandemic and the huge number of submissions to the commission.
The Guardian reported earlier that the inquiry has said the statue should be ripped from the wall and a King Edward Street plaque should be taken away.
It wants Oriel’s governing body to issue a statement sharing the college’s view on its relationship with Rhodes.
The newspaper reported college material should be rewritten to match its thoughts towards the mining magnate.
Robert Poll from Save Our Statues said: ‘I am saddened but not surprised to hear the verdict of the Commission, which was a foregone conclusion from the start,’ Pictured: A protest in Oxford last June
A further recommendation by the commission was for Oriel to fund two fellowships in courses on Rhodes’ legacy.
And it wants the college to open scholarships for people from southern Africa and bring in an annual warts and all lecture on Rhodes.
Robert Poll from Save Our Statues told MailOnline: ‘I welcome the decision by Oriel College not to remove the statue of Rhodes.
‘It recognises two important facts: that our heritage is protected by planning law, and that the people do not want to see it destroyed.
‘Over a thousand people wrote to the commission and the majority were in favour of keeping the statue.
‘We must stop sitting in judgement of history and trying to assert moral authority over the past.
‘Calls to remove statues only inflame tensions and sow division. Let this be the last call for a statue to fall.’