LONDON — A local government in southern England said it would remove a statue of Robert Baden-Powell, founder of the worldwide scouting movement, th

Statue of Scouts founder Baden-Powell to be taken down in Britain

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Sudarshan panda

2020-06-11 18:40:36

LONDON — A local government in southern England said it would remove a statue of Robert Baden-Powell, founder of the worldwide scouting movement, the latest memorial to be taken down in the wake of anti-racism protests sparked by the death of George Floyd.

The demonstrations sweeping across the United States and Europe have reignited a debate about monuments to those involved in Britain's imperialist past.

Poole council said the statue of Baden-Powell, a British Boer War hero, would be moved from its location on the quay of the seaside town to storage on Thursday while there were discussions with local communities about its future.

"Whilst famed for the creation of the Scouts, we also recognize that there are some aspects of Robert Baden-Powell’s life that are considered less worthy of commemoration," council leader Vikki Slade said.

Baden-Powell is widely hailed for setting up the scout movement which boasts 54 million members worldwide. In a poll in 2007, he was voted the 13th most influential person in the United Kingdom in the 20th century. But critics say he held racist views and was a supporter of Adolf Hitler and fascism.