Protesters at a Black Lives Matter demonstration in Bristol tore down the statue of a controversial slave trader and then threw it into Bristol harbour.
Video and pictures shared online show a huge crowd cheering and shouting as the monument on St Augustine's Parade in central Bristol was toppled on Sunday.
Many of the protesters, some holding placards, then jumped on the fallen statue as the crowd surged forward.
The statue has stood in the centre of Bristol for 125 years, but has become the focus of controversy as many see it as a monument to the trade which allowed slavers in Bristol to build vast wealth between the 17th and 19th centuries.
A recent petition calling for the removal of the statue has now amassed over 11,000 signatures and a black veil was placed over the figure during recent Black Lives Matter protests in the city.
Edward Colston was born in Bristol in 1636 and was a Conservative Member of Parliament. A significant part of his wealth was acquired through the trade and exploitation of slaves.
Colston's name is commemorated in several landmarks around Bristol including streets, three schools and the Colston bun, a type of sweet bread, as well as the statue in St Augustine's Parade.
After the statue was pulled down, protesters carried it to Bristol harbour where it was thrown into the water.
Black Lives Matter protests have been organised across the UK and the world this weekend in response to the killing of George Floyd, an unarmed black man, by police officers in Minneapolis last week.
The protest in Bristol on Sunday started at College Green at 1pm, with a moment's silence held by thousands of protesters in memory of George Floyd at 2pm.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock warned people not to attend mass protests over the weekend for fear of spreading coronavirus.
However, tens of thousands people in the UK attended demonstrations, most of which were conducted peacefully.
