A day after it was reinstalled on the grounds of the Manitoba Legislature, a statue of the late Queen Elizabeth II was spray painted with the words “killer” and “colonizer” by far-left radicals.
The statue had been toppled and damaged by protesters on Canada Day in 2021, along with a statue of Queen Victoria, which has yet to be returned.
Nobody has been charged as a result of the 2021 incident.
At the time of the statue’s toppling, NDP MP NIki Ashton celebrated the vandalism as an act of “decolonization” and tweeted a heart emoji in response to a picture of protestors toppling the statue down.
“Decolonization on the grounds of our legislature on Treaty 1 Territory, the homeland of the Métis,” tweeted Ashton at the time.
Decolonization on the grounds of our legislature on Treaty 1 Territory, the homeland of the Métis.
— Niki Ashton (@nikiashton) July 1, 2021
🧡#EveryChildMatters#NoPrideinGenocide
Photo credit: Shirley Hayloz Semple pic.twitter.com/slGbO3OlWY
Queen Victoria, who ruled from 1837 to 1901, was the monarch when Canada entered Confederation. Queen Elizabeth II died on Sept. 8, 2022.
According to restorer, Charles Brunet, the statue was badly damaged after the 2021 incident.
“The face was pushed in, the arm was scraped, and the whole base was totally crooked, too,” said Brunet.
“I’m so elated. I’m so excited. She is up, she is looking good. She’s solid, too. I won’t be called again, I hope.”
According to Brunet, the statue has been reinforced with additional rods.
“There’s a huge area for people to assemble now,” said Manitoba’s minister for government services James Teitsma when the statue was reinstalled.
“We just want to make sure that the Manitoba legislative grounds are welcoming, are beautiful, and also reflect our shared stories and our history.”
Far-left activists have targeted statues of historical figures throughout Canada, including those of Canada’s first prime minister Sir John A Macdonald.
