Britain removes slave trader Robert Milligan's statue outside London museum

Britain removed slave trader Robert Milligan's statue from outside the Museum of London Docklands on Tuesday.

"It’s a sad truth that much of our wealth was derived from the slave trade - but this does not have to be celebrated in our public spaces," London Mayor Sadiq Khan said.

"Tonight, the statue of slave trader Robert Milligan no longer stands at West India Quay," the London mayor announced.

Protesters had earlier torn down the statue of slave trader Edward Colston in Bristol. The statue of former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill was defaced amid anti-racism rally in London over African-American George Floyd's death by a Minneapolis cop on May 25.

The Museum of London Docklands said, "The monument is part of the ongoing problematic regime of white-washing history, which disregards the pain of those who are still wrestling with the remnants of the crimes Milligan committed against humanity."

The Canal and River Trust said it had worked with the London Borough of Tower Hamlets in Canary Wharf to remove Robert Milligan's stature.

The London mayor said a new commission had been unveiled to review and improve the "diversity of London’s public landmarks".

"We must commemorate the achievements and diversity of all in our city - and that includes questioning which legacies are being celebrated," Sadiq Khan said.