Statue of Margaret Thatcher egged after being lowered into place in Grantham
Margaret Thatcher statue is egged by protester just two hours after it was finally lowered into place in her home town – as police erect CCTV to try and deter vandalism
A protestor has egged a statue of Margaret Thatcher that was unveiled todayThe protester threw four eggs – one of which hit the bottom of the monument The statue of Baroness Thatcher debuted today in Grantham, LincolnshireFears for left-wing reprisals and the pandemic had delayed the statue’s debutCouncillors in Westminster vetoed the original plans for the statue to be thereIt had been planned for Parliament Square alongside Churchill and Millicent Fawcett among other notable Brits
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A protester has thrown eggs at a statue of Margaret Thatcher in Grantham under two hours after it was unveiled.
An unidentified man showed up just over an hour after the monument was placed – throwing four eggs – one which hit the statue and then left the scene.
The statue of Britain’s first woman prime minister was unveiled after two years of delays and several threats from protestors to engage in an ‘egg-throwing competition’ at the monument.
The monument was vetoed from its originally planned position in Parliament Square, Westminster.
Lincolnshire Police confirmed there have been no arrests so far but enquiries are ongoing.
An unidentified man showed up just over an hour after the monument was placed – throwing four eggs – one which hit the statue and then left the scene.
One egg hit the bottom of the statue after the protest unleashed his barrage
Thatcher’s monument was erected on the 10ft plinth by workers in Grantham today
A council CCTV camera overlooks the statue of Baroness Thatcher in her home town of Grantham
The pandemic and fears of left-wing attacks on the statue have delayed its opening for two years
Protections were put in place by the council in order to protect the controversial monument
The statue was protected by a large metal fence – but this did not stop the man from throwing the projectiles
The statue was protected by a large metal fence – but this did not stop the man from throwing the projectiles.
In February 2019, a planning committee in the Lincolnshire town unanimously voted in favour of the £300,000 statue before the unveiling was postponed by the Covid-19 pandemic.
The statue has now been erected on a 10ft-high granite plinth in Baroness Thatcher’s home town of Grantham, Lincolnshire.
Reports originally presented to South Kesteven District Council showed the statue was moved to the area due to fears of a ‘motivated far-left movement… who may be committed to public activism’.
But after a large-scale £100,000 unveiling ceremony was approved by the council in 2020, a Facebook group proposing an ‘egg-throwing contest’ at the event attracted interest from more than 13,000 people.
Around 2,400 others visited the Facebook page to say they would go to the event including ‘egg throwing… and potentially graffiti art’.
Before planning permission was given to the statue, the only marking of Baroness Thatcher in the town was a plaque on the corner of North Parade and Broad Street to show where she was born.
The £300,000 statue was originally supposed to stand in Westminster’s Parliament Square but this move was scrapped by councillors
A council spokesman said the Public Memorials Appeal, which funded the monument through donations, will host an official unveiling ceremony at a later date.
Leader of South Kesteven District Council Kelham Cooke said ‘we must never hide from our history’, adding it is ‘appropriate the debate that surrounds her legacy takes place here in Grantham’.
He said: ‘This memorial statue of the late Baroness Thatcher of Kesteven will be a fitting tribute to a truly unique political figure.
‘Margaret Thatcher will always be a significant part of Grantham’s heritage. She and her family have close ties with Grantham. She was born, raised and went to school here.
‘It is, therefore, appropriate that she is commemorated by her home town, and that the debate that surrounds her legacy takes place here in Grantham.
‘We must never hide from our history, and this memorial will be a talking point for generations to come.’
The statue, standing at just over 20ft high, will be situated in between two existing statues of Sir Isaac Newton and Frederick Tollemache in the town’s Civic Quarter.
Mr Cooke added: ‘We hope that this memorial will encourage others to visit Grantham and to see where she lived and visit the exhibition of her life in Grantham Museum.
‘This is about inspiring, educating and informing people about someone who represents a significant part of Grantham’s heritage.’
The Grantham Community Heritage Association (GCHA), an educational charity which manages Grantham Museum, spent a number of years raising money for a permanent memorial to Baroness Thatcher.
Graham Jeal, of the GCHA, said: ‘There has long been a conversation in Grantham about a more permanent memorial to the country’s first female prime minister who was an enormous political figure, both nationally and internationally.
Mrs Thatcher was born on October 13 1925 and spent her childhood in the Lincolnshire market town
‘The delivery of the memorial has secured the museum for the next few years and has helped the museum finances survive the Covid pandemic.
‘It is recognised that the full spectrum of views exist in Grantham about the legacy of Margaret Thatcher and an exhibition inside the museum illustrates this.’
Mrs Thatcher was born on October 13 1925 and spent her childhood in the Lincolnshire market town before heading off to Somerville College, Oxford, at the age of 18 to study chemistry.
The argument about how or even whether Mrs Thatcher, who died aged 87 died in April 2013 after suffering a stroke, should be recognised in Grantham has raised for nearly two decades.
