Oliver Cromwell statue defaced in Manchester

THE IRISH POST BY: Jack Beresford June 24, 2020

A STATUE of Oliver Cromwell has been graffitied in Manchester with the words “Cromwell is a cockroach” and “Irish invasion”.

The words “BLM” and “f*** racist” were also spray painted on the monument of the English Civil War Figure which stands in the city’s Wythenshawe Park.

Its defacing comes two weeks after protestors in Bristol toppled a statue of 17th century slave trader Edward Colston before throwing the bust into the nearby harbour.

The incident sparked renewed calls in Ireland for a statue of Cromwell that sits outside the UK Houses of Parliament in London to be taken down.

Cromwell served Lord Protector of the Commonwealth of England, Scotland, and Ireland during the 1600s.

He infamously enacted a series of brutal military dictates that led to the deaths of countless innocent Irish civilians including at least 2,000 people in Wexford.

The Grade II listed bronze statue of Cromwell, which dates back to 1875 is one of several set to be reviewed under plans announced by Manchester City Council in the wake of the George Floyd protests.

Labour Councillor Glynn Evans, who represents the Brooklands ward where the statue is based, branded the act ‘just mindless graffiti’

He said: “(Cromwell) did some things wrong, like with the Irish people.

“The pyramids were built by slave labourers – would we pull them down?”

The Labour politician continued: ‘It’s history. People haven’t found that statue offensive for many years. It’s just because of what has happened in America and all over.”

“It’s somebody jumping on the bandwagon,” he continued.

“If the council decides to move it then fine, but (the vandalism) is making the park look a mess.”

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Wythenshawe Park, Oliver Cromwell Statue

The Cromwell statue was controversially* erected by local Liberal politicians in 1875. It was originally sited at the junction of Deansgate and Victoria Street in Manchester, where it stood until the 1970s when it was moved from outside Manchester Cathedral to make way for a traffic scheme. After being in storage for a number of years it was installed at Wythenshawe Park, about 100metres to the east of SJ8189 : Wythenshawe Hall, although it is very unlikely that Oliver Cromwell ever visited Wythenshawe.

There have been suggestions that the statue may be moved back to its original home near the Cathedral as part of the re-development of the city centre (LinkExternal link (Archive LinkExternal link ) Manchester Evening News 19 July 2011)

The statue is a Grade II listed structure. SJ8189 : Cromwell Statue, Inscription shows a close-up of the inscription on the base.

*The erection of a statue to Cromwell annoyed the city’s large Irish immigrant population as Cromwell had ruthlessly put down Irish uprisings. And when Queen Victoria was asked to open Manchester’s town hall she allegedly insisted that the statue of Cromwell should be removed. (LinkExternal link (Archive LinkExternal link ) Manchester Evening News)

© Copyright David Dixon and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.