Outrage as Oxford graduate tweets how to destroy statues with household chemicals – and says Churchill is next target
AN Oxford graduate has sparked outrage after tweeting instructions around how to destroy statues with household chemicals – and warning Churchill could be the next target.
Madeline Odent, who is the curator of the Royston Museum in Hertfordshire, shared a string of tweets describing how it would be “extremely difficult” to fix statues if damaged by certain corrosive substances.
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The Oxford-educated curator shared the instructions to her more than 5,000 followers in response to the Black Lives Matter movement.
And after the string of messages about creating “irreversible” damage, she then shared a photograph of Winston Churchill’s defaced plinth, writing: “Stay tuned for our next edition, where we’ll be talking about marble memorials of racists”.
She wrote that it would be “extremely difficult” to remove certain chemdials, adding: “It can be done, but the chemical needed is super carcinogenic, so it rarely is.”
She later added: “We haven’t found a way to restore artefacts that this happens to. Which is a shame, since we all immediately forget history when statues are destroyed.”
Ms Odent studied in Florida before moving to Britain to study history at Oxford before going on to become a curator.
Her messages have sparked an outcry on Twitter, with other social media users since flagging her comments with the local council and police.
One said she was “promoting hooliganism” while another said her motives were “not peaceful”.
And Hertfordshire Police today said they were investigating the tweets, saying: “We are aware of a series of tweets on a private twitter account, which we believe may relate to damaging statues and we are currently looking into this matter along with our partner agencies.”
When approached for comment herself, Ms Odent said: “I have been instructed to give no comment.”
It comes as protesters have targeted statues amid the Black Lives Matter campaign which was sparked by the tragic death of George Floyd in the US.
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The BLM movement has seen protests staged in the UK, with one group pulling down the statue of 17th century slave trader Edward Colston.
The statue was pushed into the water with Bristol City Council today saying it would be retrieved and taken to a museum.
The statue of another slave tader, Robert Milligan, has now been taken down.
However, the moves have caused controversy with some demanding that statues should only be taken down after a democractic vote rather than during protests.
Cops in London recently had to shield Winston Churchill’s statue from further damage after it was daubed with “racist” during some the protests.
The Mahatma Gandhi statue was similarly targeted with “racist” sprayed on it.
While a man was pictured trying to set fire to a Union Flag on the Cenotaph in Whitehall during Sunday’s rally.
Sadiq Khan has opened up a review into statues of slave owners, streets and squares named after the human traffickers across London.
Royston Town Council has since shared a message on social media, saying: “The Council has been made aware of Tweets on a private Twitter account and we are currently investigating the issue.
“The Town Council does not endorse the comments or views expressed.”
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Mr Floyd died on May 25 after a white police officer pressed his knee on Mr. Floyd’s neck for over eight minutes as he cried out for his mother and told cops: “I can’t breathe”.
Mr Floyd’s death at the age of 46 has inspired worldwide demonstrations over racial injustice, police brutality and racism – including in the UK.
The Sun Online has contacted Hertfordshire Police for comment.
