On 5 January 2022, at the Bristol Crown Court, the Colston Four were found innocent of any criminal damage.
They were on trial for toppling the statue (as reported in July 2020 by West England Bylines) of Edward Colston, a slave-selling merchant who gave a significant amount of money to the city in his will.
Many have asked if this will set a precedent for protestors to cause similar damage.
Many experts and politicians have argued that, no, it won’t!
In the words of Robert Key, former MP for Salisbury, said on his twitter
“There is no doubt they did it. The Bristol Jury did not say they did not. They said on this occasion, in the circumstances, they should not be punished. That’s the point of juries.”
Check out this Bitesize News video below for the full story:
