Campaigners demand hundreds of lovers’ padlocks are removed from bridge in Bristol because it is named in honour of slave Pero Jones and is ‘insulting to his memory’
- They say there is a ‘major issue’ with making such displays of couples’ affection
- Opened in 1999, Pero Bridge was named in honour of African slave Pero Jones
- Bristol’s history is steeped in the slave trade and campaigners demand publicity
Campaigners are calling for hundreds of ‘love locks’ to be cut from a Bristol bridge named in memory of a slave.
They say there is a ‘major issue’ with making such displays of couples’ affection on a landmark commemorating a victim of atrocity.
Opened in 1999, Pero Bridge was named in honour of Pero Jones, an enslaved African who lived in the city in the 18th Century.
Bristol’s history is steeped in the slave trade and the bridge crosses the harbour where protesters memorably threw the statue of Edward Colston last summer.
Campaigners are calling for hundreds of ‘love locks’ to be cut from a Bristol bridge named in memory of a slave
They say there is a ‘major issue’ with making such displays of couples’ affection on a landmark commemorating a victim of atrocity
Opened in 1999, Pero Bridge was named in honour of Pero Jones, an enslaved African who lived in the city in the 18th Century
Now a drive called ‘Respect Pero’s memory’ to remove the padlocks from the crossing has been launched along with a publicity blitz to raise awareness of the city’s past.
Alex Hartley, the Lib Dem candidate for Hotwells and Harbourside ward said: ‘While a declaration of love like this is admirable, there is a major issue with it. For me, the issue is the choice of bridge itself.
‘Putting aside the fact that it is a working bridge and the weight of the locks may begin to interfere with its proper working, it is the name of the bridge that is the biggest issue.
‘When it was built in 1999, the bridge was named after Pero Jones – an enslaved West Indian who lived in Bristol in the late 18th century – as a memorial to those affected by the slave trade.
‘A small memorial stone, dedicating the bridge to Pero, is hidden behind some bike racks on the Millennium Square side of the bridge and is almost invisible to passers-by.
‘The fact that this is the only memorial in Bristol to the victims of the transatlantic slave trade (barring a small plaque on the side of M Shed) is frankly insulting.’
Mr Hartley hopes the recent toppling of the Colston statue in June will embolden the campaign.
The monument to the 17th Century slave trader was torn from its plinth and later replaced with a likeness of one of the BLM activists.
He added: ‘Since the Colston statue was dragged into the docks just metres from Pero’s Bridge, Bristol residents have become more reflective of our colonial past,’ he added.
‘So we must take this opportunity to respect Pero’s memory.
‘We are campaigning for the lovelocks to be removed from the bridge, and an information board to be put up, that highlights the story of Pero Jones, the wider slave trade in Bristol and the recent history of the Colston statue to educate the public on a trade that built Bristol using the profits of slavery.’
Bristol’s history is steeped in the slave trade and the bridge crosses the harbour where protesters memorably threw the statue of Edward Colston last summer