Four people who have been charged with criminal damage after the toppling of a statue of slave trader Edward Colston appear in court today (January 25).

Rhian Graham, 29, Milo Ponsford, 25, Jake Skuse, 32, and Sage Willoughby, 21, arrive to appear before Bristol Magistrates’ Court for their first hearing, according to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).

The bronze memorial to the 17th-century slave merchant was pulled down during a Black Lives Matter protest on June 7, 2020, before being dumped in Bristol Harbour.

It was later recovered from the water by Bristol City Council and assessed to have suffered £3,750 worth of damage.

Police have told supporters not to attend a potential protest outside Bristol Magistrates’ Court, warning they will be breaking coronavirus laws if they do so. The Support the Colston 4 Facebook page says people should not gather outside the court but can instead join an online event to show support to the defendants.

Despite the police warnings, a number of supporters were arrested outside the court building for breaching current covid restrictions.

Bristol, UK. 25th January 2021. Four people who have been charged with criminal damage after the toppling of a statue of slave trader Edward Colston appear in court today. Rhian Graham, 29, Milo Ponsford, 25, Jake Skuse, 32, and Sage Willoughby, 21, arrive to appear before Bristol Magistrates’ Court for their first hearing, according to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).The bronze memorial to the 17th century slave merchant was pulled down during a Black Lives Matter protest on June 7, 2020, before being dumped in Bristol Harbour. It was later recovered from the water by Bristol City Council and assessed to have suffered £3,750 worth of damage. No arrests were made at the time but Avon and Somerset Police launched an investigation. Police have told supporters not to attend a potential protest outside Bristol Magistrates’ Court warning they will be breaking coronavirus laws if they do so. The Support the Colston 4 Facebook page says people should not gather outside the court, but can instead join an online event to show support to the defendants. Despite the police warnings a number of supporters were arrested outside the court building for breaching current covid restrictions.