Poll: Should New Zealand pull down statues memorialising colonial figures?

  • 13/06/2020

Debate has heated up this week about whether to bring down statues around New Zealand commemorating individuals linked to colonialism.

Off the back of protests rallying against racism and police brutality after the death of George Floyd, demonstrators around the world are now calling for historical monuments to be removed if they commemorate people linked to racial oppression. 

A statue of Captain John Hamilton - a key figure in the New Zealand Wars - was pulled down on Friday, while on Saturday a monument of Captain Cook in Gisborne was vandalised

The Maori Party is calling for an inquiry to identify and remove colonial statues, while Green MP Golriz Ghahraman has said they should be removed.

New Zealand First leader Winston Peters, however, released a statement on Friday blasting those calling for the monuments to go. 

"A self-confident country would never succumb to obliterating symbols of their history, whether it be good or bad or simply gone out of fashion."

Do you think New Zealand should pull down statues memorialising colonial figures?