Boris Johnson says UK needs to tackle inequality rather than trying to ‘rewrite the past’

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Boris Johnson said he will resist attempts to tear down Winston Churchill’s statue ‘with every breath in his body’ after the structure was attacked by anti-fascist and Black Lives Matter protesters. 

Mr Johnson said it is ‘the height of lunacy’ to accuse the wartime leader – who was Prime Minister twice – of racism after he led Britain to victory against fascism in World War Two.

He warned that Britain cannot ‘photoshop’ it’s history of colonialism and exploitation and should instead seek to educate children on the controversial lives of the leaders that statues depict while addressing racial inequality nationwide. 

The Prime Minister’s remarks came after another day of violent scenes on the streets of London over the weekend as Black Lives Matter demonstrators and counter-protesters clashed in the capital on Saturday.

In shocking scenes, missiles, smoke grenades, bottles and flares were hurled at riot police who tried to move far-right activists away from Whitehall.

Six police officers were injured and more than 100 people were arrested in Saturday’s protest, which was condemned by Mr Johnson as ‘racist thuggery’.

The statue of Churchill in nearby Parliament Square has become a focal point for counter-protesters after BLM supporters had daubed it with graffiti the previous weekend.

It had even been boarded up to protect it from further vandalism over the weekend. 

Churchill is widely considered a national hero and often leads polls on who was the greatest-ever Briton. His picture was chosen to appear on the new polymer £5 notes.

However, critics say his legacy is tarnished by controversial remarks he made about different races and his role in the Bengal famine in 1943 after Allied forces halted food supplies, leading to an estimated 3 million deaths.

Writing in The Daily Telegraph, Mr Johnson, who wrote a biography of Churchill in 2014, said: ‘We need to address the present, not attempt to rewrite the past – and that means we cannot and must not get sucked into never-ending debate about which well-known historical figure is sufficiently pure or politically correct to remain in public view.’

Talking of Churchill, he said: ‘He was a hero, and I expect I am not alone in saying that I will resist with every breath in my body any attempt to remove that statue from Parliament Square, and the sooner his protective shielding comes off the better.’

He added: ‘If we start purging the record and removing the images of all but those whose attitudes conform to our own, we are engaged in a great lie, a distortion of our history – like some public figure furtively trying to make themselves look better.’ 

At-risk landmarks – including the Cenotaph and statues of Churchill and Nelson Mandela – were boarded up ahead of predicted clashes between Black Lives Matter protesters and far-right demonstrators looking to protect them over the weekend. 

The monument to Britain’s greatest war-time leader was covered in graffiti that said Churchill ‘was a racist’ while a protester attempted to set a union flag on fire on the Cenotaph in this month’s clashes.

Sadiq Khan was accused of ‘surrendering’ the capital’s streets ‘to the mob’ after he ordered the boarding up of the monument to Britain’s greatest prime minister and the nearby Cenotaph. 

Mr Johnson said it is ‘outrageous’ that the statue needed covering up and asked: ‘What has the world come to when one of this country’s greatest ever leaders – perhaps our greatest – has to be shielded from the wrath of the mob?’  

Anti-racism protesters tore down a statue of slave trader Edward Colston and rolled him into a harbour last Sunday.

And when demonstrators descended on the capital on Saturday to ‘protect’ the statues, one was caught on camera urinating next to a memorial to PC Keith Palmer, the policeman murdered buy an Islamic terrorist during an attack on Parliament. 

A 28-year-old man from Essex was last night charged with outraging decency over the incident. 

The Prime Minister was quick to condemn the thugs who wreaked havoc across the city on Saturday.

His comments came after he pledged to establish a cross-government commission to examine racial inequality in Britain.

Mr Johnson told broadcasters: ‘What I really want to do as Prime Minister is change the narrative so we stop the sense of victimisation and discrimination.

‘We stamp out racism and we start to have a real sense of expectation of success.

‘That’s where I want to get to but it won’t be easy.’ 

However the announcement, which included little detail, was sharply criticised by opposition parties.

For Labour, shadow equalities secretary Marsha de Cordova said: ‘We are in the midst of a global health pandemic that has sharply exposed deep structural inequalities which have long since needed urgently addressing.

‘That the Prime Minister now says he wants to ‘change the narrative… so we stop the sense of victimisation and discrimination’ is condescending and designed to let himself and his Government off the hook.

Liberal Democrat equalities spokeswoman Christine Jardine said the commission was a ‘welcome first step’ but said the Government must go further.

‘Too many people’s lives are blighted by discrimination, inequality and injustice. The Government must move further and faster to redress institutional racism in the criminal justice system and many other parts of our society,’ she said.

Hero Black Lives Matter supporter reveals the moment he carried white ‘far-right’ protester ‘whose life was in danger’ to safety – as he declares ‘it’s not black versus white, it is everyone versus the racists’

A hero Black Lives Matter supporter has lifted the lid on the moment he carried a ‘far-right’ protester, whose ‘life was in danger’, to safety in the midst of clashes with anti-racism protesters in London.

Patrick Hutchinson drew the attention of a nation yesterday when an image of him lifting the bloodied white protester onto his shoulders amid violent clashes near Trafalgar Square went viral.

Tonight, the personal trainer and grandfather, who ‘wouldn’t hurt a fly’, relatives said, revealed why he intervened and what he hopes his actions will inspire from people in future.

He told Channel 4 News: ‘If the other three police officers that were standing around when George Floyd was murdered had thought about intervening, and stopping their colleague from doing what he was doing, like what we did, George Floyd would be alive today still.

‘I just want equality for all of us. At the moment, the scales are unfairly balanced and I want things to be fair for my children and my grandchildren.’

Mr Hutchinson told reporter Keme Nzerem he knew nothing about the man he saved, who he described as ‘partially unconscious’. 

‘On arrival I note, at this point, the guy was already on the floor,’ he said.

‘It was pretty hectic, it was almost like a stampede there was lots of people, people trying to protect him but unsuccessfully.

‘And then the guys went in there, they put a little cordon around him to stop him receiving any more physical harm.

‘He was under physical harm, his life was under threat. And as they did that, I thought, ‘well if he stays here he’s not going to make it’.

‘So I went under, scooped him up, put him on my shoulders and started marching towards the police with him, whilst all the guys were surrounding me, and protecting me and the guy I had on my shoulder.

‘I could actually feel strikes and hits as I was carrying him, so these guys were probably taking some of that themselves on their person.

It was [scary], you don’t think about that though at the time. You just do what you’ve got to do.’ 

Asked his reaction to being called a hero, he added: ‘I was just the guy caught on camera with him on my shoulder, but all these guys were all party to it. Without them protecting me, I would have probably got stampeded as well underneath it. So it was a team effort.’  

Mr Hutchinson added: ‘I had no plans to go up there. I was at home looking after my grandchildren – and my friend said we’ve gotta go and protect the women and the children and stop these young guys from getting in any trouble.’  

His younger brother Don told the Daily Mail: ‘My brother is a big guy but even though he has the capability to hurt people, he wouldn’t hurt a fly.

‘His first thought was that someone was in danger. He didn’t think, ‘Oh, this is a black guy or white guy.’ He thought someone could die and I have to get involved.

‘He wouldn’t stand there and see someone kicked to death’

‘Patrick just took it all in his stride. All he said is, ‘It’s not black versus white, it’s everybody against racism’.’

Don said he hoped his brother’s actions could help the country to heal, adding: ‘It is time that we all set our differences aside and learn to work together.’

He said he was relieved his brother was not mistaken as a ‘protagonist’ by police.

After the interview was broadcast, many took to social media to commend Mr Hutchinson’s actions, including Labour MP David Lammy who described him as a ‘hero’.

He added: ‘It’s easy to focus on the worst instincts of human behaviour. But it is vital we also celebrate the best.’ 

Other friends and followers reacted similarly, with one saying: ‘Saw this photo and felt so much pride and power and humanity through what you guys did, big respect.’

Another said: ‘Yes coach, my boss,’ while one added: ‘This is what I want to see. A truly incredible man. Nothing but respect.’ 

Father to three daughters, he had earlier taken to social media to identify himself as the man who helped the opposition protester, telling his thousands of followers: ‘We saved a life today’.

Mr Hutchinson, who lists himself as a qualified personal trainer and UK athletics coach and who links to Hercules Wimbledon Athletics Club and ARK security on his Instagram page, attached four pictures to the social media post, including one of him carrying the man and a selfie of him with a friend. 

Along with the hashtag Black Lives Matter, he wrote: ‘It’s not black versus white, it is everyone versus the racists. We had each other’s back and protected those who needed us.’  

The grandfather had posted a week ago in support of American Mr Floyd, who died after a Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck for more than eight minutes while he was under arrest.

In the post Mr Hutchinson used the hashtags #blackouttuesday, #enoughisenough and #justiceforGeorgeFloyd.   

Another who claims he was involved with the rescue effort, Jamaine Facey, posted a picture on Facebook page of him and others with Mr Hutchinson, saying: ‘Me and The team #overseer #system #securitysystem #family #fatherslove #systemchange’.

Mr Facey, who list himself as a mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter on his Facebook page, had earlier posted a video on social media encouraging others to come in support of protests saying: ‘You couldn’t be bothered to be there when you were asked to help the future generations. So do not comment now that the outcome doesn’t fit your narrative.’

The photograph of Mr Hutchinson was taken during  violent clashes in Trafalgar Square, Black Lives Matter protesters and some counter protesters, which headed over the River Thames towards Waterloo Station.

Far-right supporters have been accused of being the instigators of the violence by attacking police as well as BLM supporters, who then fought back as the scene descended into violence.

One of the protestors, claimed to be ‘far-right’ by the crowd, was seen lying injured on the ground after being chased past the Royal Festival Hall.

But photos then show Mr Hutchinson pick him up and carry him over his shoulders to safety – flanked by police in riot gear.

Reports suggest he was badly beaten by some demonstrators, before other protesters stepped in to protect him. 

Both BLM supporters and opponents were seen attacking each other, and even clashed with riot police attempting to keep the scene under control.

Pictures have also caught the moment another counter-protester was left with a bloodied face after being hit during a scuffle with protesters.

Earlier in the day there were skirmishes between anti-racism groups and far-right activists. Anti-racist protesters have rallied for days against racism and police brutality since the death of African American George Floyd in Minneapolis last month.

Several hundred demonstrators, mostly white men, attended a protest at Parliament Square organised by far-right groups, including Britain First, which claimed they wanted to protect statues such as Winston Churchill from vandalism. 

But fights erupted in areas near the Houses of Parliament and Trafalgar Square, as some demonstrators assaulted police officers with foul-mouthed chants and missiles, smoke grenades and flares.

Shards of glass were strewn along the streets close to the Cenotaph on Whitehall after bottles were thrown at police officers clad in riot gear. 

A man urinated next to a memorial dedicated to police officer Keith Palmer, who was killed in the 2017 Westminster terror attack amid violent clashes between far-right protesters and police in central London.

MP Tobias Ellwood, who gave first aid to PC Palmer as he lay dying after being stabbed to death in the grounds Parliament by Khalid Masood, said the image of the man urinating next to the memorial was ‘abhorrent’.

The Tory MP for Bournemouth East and chairman of the Defence Select Committee, tweeted a picture of the man and wrote: ‘Absolute shame on this man.

‘Of all the images to emerge over these few testing days I find this one of most abhorrent. Please help identify him.’

Scotland Yard said that as of 5pm on Saturday, they had arrested five people for offences including violent disorder, assault on police, possession of an offensive weapon, being drunk and disorderly and possession of Class A drugs.

By around 5.30pm, London Ambulance Service said it had treated 15 people for injuries, including two police officers.

Six of these patients, all members of the public, had to be taken to hospital.

The Metropolitan Police Federation chairman, Ken Marsh, condemned the ‘disorder and unruliness’, and suggested the man pictured urinating next to the memorial should be sent to prison.

He said: ‘It’s horrendous. The man urinating next to Keith Palmer’s memorial is disgusting.

‘A faction of people today only had one intention – to be violent and unlawful, they didn’t come here to protect the statues, it’s just disorder and unruliness.

‘I suggest serious custodial sentences in relation to assaults on police and others, criminal damage and urinating next to the memorial of heroes.’

The violent scenes are in contrast with peaceful demonstrations that took place at Hyde Park and Marble Arch by anti-racism protesters in support of the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement.

On Friday, statues in Parliament Square – including of Winston Churchill, Nelson Mandela and Mahatma Gandhi – were boarded up to prevent them being targeted by protesters both from the Black Lives Matter movement and far-right groups.

The Metropolitan Police had warned people joining demonstrations on Saturday that they must be off the streets by 5pm or risk being arrested.

The violence has been condemned by the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan and Home Secretary Priti Patel, with the latter branding it as ‘thoroughly unacceptable thuggery’.

Speaking before the clashes, Paul Golding, leader of Britain First, said the crowds had turned out to ‘guard our monuments’.

Mr Golding, who was convicted of a terror offence last month, told the PA news agency: ‘I am extremely fed up with the way that the authorities have allowed two consecutive weekends of vandalism against our national monuments.’

There were similar gatherings on Saturday in Belfast, Glasgow and Bristol with crowds massing around monuments.

In Brighton, more than 10,000 protesters formed a line along the seafront in a Black Lives Matter demonstrations.

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