A “racist” sign has actually been removed from outside a pub in Derbyshire after thousands required it be removed amidst Black Lives Matter demonstrations across the country.

More than 28,000 people signed a petition requiring the caricature of a black male’s head to be removed from the sign for the Greenman pub in Ashbourne.

Derbyshire Dales District Council stated it was being removed with “immediate effect”.

It comes after anti-racism protesters in Bristol, annoyed by the killing of George Floyd in the United States, pulled a statue of servant trader Edward Colston off its plinth and tossed into the harbour.

The Grade II-listed pub sign, which bridges St John’s Street in the Derbyshire town, was compared to a golliwog – a 19 th century rag doll mainly thought about to be racist – by one protester.

They stated: “I think people are ashamed of it. Having it in the middle of the street in a small town is so unwelcoming.”

Matthew Holt, 19, an international relations student from Ashbourne, was amongst the thousands who signed the petition.

He stated: “It appears such an apparent racistsign I believe it is very important we resolve our history; we can’t alter it however this should not be shown in the public eye.

” It ought to remain in a museum where we can learn more about it with a description to contextualise it.”

However a counter petition, which has actually collected almost 3,000 signatures, argues the sign is “not even the tiniest bit racist”.

Image:
Protesters toss a statue of Edward Colston into Bristol harbour throughout a Black Lives Matter demonstration

One signatory, Shaun Redfern, 17, from Ashbourne, stated: “Are we supposed to deny our past now and get rid of old artefacts?”

A sign with the words “save me” was seen twisted around the sign on Monday afternoon.

As Black Lives Matter demonstrations continue throughout the UK and the rest of the world, there is a growing need for questionable monoliths connected with slavery to be removed.

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There are currently comparable petitions in Edinburgh, Cardiff, Oxford and Shrewsbury.

While he stated he might not condemn criminal damage to the Colston statue in his city, Bristol Mayor Marvin Rees informed Sky News the monolith was an “affront” to Black, Asian and minority ethnic locals.

However Home Secretary Priti Patel explained protesters’ actions as “utterly disgraceful” and threatened them with criminal charges.

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