Priti Patel said the Bristol statue toppling was ‘utterly disgraceful … thuggery’ – only 5 replies you need

John Plunkett. Updated June 8th, 2020

Home secretary Priti Patel has left people in no doubt how she feels about the toppling of a slave trader statue by Black Lives Matter protesters in Bristol.

Here’s what she said on Twitter, alongside a front page of today’s Daily Mail (what else?).

These demonstrations have been subverted by thuggery.

Justice will follow. pic.twitter.com/CL3gfOthkg

— Priti Patel (@pritipatel) June 8, 2020

And she said this on Sky News.

Home Secretary Priti Patel says the toppling of a statue of slaver Edward Colston in Bristol is "utterly disgraceful" and 'undermines' anti-racism protests.

Follow live updates: https://t.co/mA24orfJu0 pic.twitter.com/3P9oft9uZH

— SkyNews (@SkyNews) June 7, 2020

And these are the only 5 responses you need.

Actually it’s done more to educate people about slavery that anything I can think of. I (shamefully) had never heard of this awful man, not had many others, it’s opening this countries eyes up to our past – fully support the gesture

— Matt (@MCpolitico) June 7, 2020

Does @pritipatel even know who Edward Colston was?
He was a major slave trader involved in the transportation of 84,000 enslaved African men, women & young children, of whom 19,000 died on voyages from West Africa to the Caribbean & the Americas. https://t.co/a11ZzLWt7h

— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) June 7, 2020

It’s utterly disgraceful that a statue to a slaver survived as long as it did. https://t.co/hj1uxTtJ8d

— Gary Lineker (@GaryLineker) June 7, 2020

I think it's "utterly disgraceful" that you were promoted after conducted secret meetings with a foreign state, and that "undermines" any perceived authority. pic.twitter.com/e58bP90o6K

— Dr Meenal Viz (@meenalsworld) June 7, 2020

Priti Patel: "It is a completely unacceptable act. Sheer vandalism and disorder are completely unacceptable. It's right that police follow up on that and make sure that justice is taken with those individuals responsible for such disorderly and lawless behaviour." pic.twitter.com/NuKXeuYeYn

— Richard Littler (@richard_littler) June 7, 2020

To conclude …

If you were in any doubt that the toppling of the Colston statue is a great thing: https://t.co/xY4mVb46hC

— Sathnam Sanghera (@Sathnam) June 7, 2020