Sharing the sentence: Separation takes toll on incarcerated moms and their kids
Tens of thousands fewer women were incarcerated in the U.S. between 2019 and 2020 due to COVID-19, but as prison populations creep back to pre-pandemic norms, more children are being separated from their mothers, putting them at greater risk of health and behavioral problems, and making them vulnerable to abuse and displacement.
Judge delays first criminal trial in Elijah McClain's death over objections of prosecutors
A judge in Colorado has agreed to delay the first criminal trial in the death of Elijah McClain, a 23-year-old Black man who was stopped by police, forcibly restrained and injected with a powerful sedative nearly four years ago.
In the Amazon region where pair was killed, neglect and allegations of harsh justice
One year after the killings of British journalist Dom Phillips and Indigenous expert Bruno Pereira, some people in the remote Javari Valley region of the Brazilian Amazon have seen their lives change, but not for the better.
US companies, nudged by Black employees, have stepped up donations to HBCUs
Historically Black colleges and universities, which had seen giving from foundations decline in recent decades, have seen an increase in gifts particularly from corporations and corporate foundations over the last several years.
Rights group says Uyghur student reported to be missing in Hong Kong did not travel to city
Amnesty International says a Uyghur student who it had said was missing in Hong Kong after being interrogated did not travel to the city, easing concerns over his safety but raising questions over how the allegations first emerged.
New Black Lives Matter tax documents show foundation is tightening its belt, has $30M in assets
A national Black Lives Matter nonprofit, whose philanthropic fortunes grew almost overnight during historic racial justice protests three years ago, raised just over $9 million in its last fiscal year, new IRS tax filings show.
Celebration at California dance ballroom a sign of healing following Lunar New Year shooting
A weekend celebration at a Southern California dance ballroom was hailed by organizers as the latest sign of healing within the Asian American community following the Lunar New Year shooting that killed 11 people at a nearby dance studio.
Civil rights groups warn tourists about Florida in wake of 'hostile' laws
The NAACP over the weekend issued a travel advisory for Florida, joining two other civil rights groups in warning potential tourists that recent laws championed by Gov_ Ron DeSantis and Florida lawmakers are “openly hostile toward African Americans, people of color and LGBTQ+ individuals.”.
Ballmer Group awards $42.5 million to help more than 100 Black-led groups expand
A new grantmaking effort funded by former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer and his wife Connie’s philanthropic arm will provide $42.5 million over the next five years to support more than 100 Black-led nonprofits focused on improving economic mobility.
Groups demand officials share information on Texas mall gunman's motives
Members of several Texas groups on Monday demanded that authorities quickly acknowledge whether they believe the neo-Nazi who killed eight people at a Dallas-area mall over a week ago was racially motivated in choosing his victims.
Pittsburgh Jewish community monitoring hate speech amid trial of suspect in synagogue massacre
The head of security for Pittsburgh’s Jewish community says there has been an “uptick in hate speech” on the internet in the early stages of the trial of the man accused of killing 11 worshippers at a Pittsburgh synagogue in 2018.
Justice Dept. settles with New Jersey county over ballot languages, highlighting widespread barrier
The Justice Department has reached a settlement with a New Jersey county over language barriers for Spanish-speaking voters, emphasizing a growing challenge for certain minority communities nationwide.
Organizers prepare for 17th annual Johnny Casa Run/Walk
Southern Virginia Child Advocacy Center invites the community to participate in the seventeeth annual Johnny CASA 5miler - 5K walk/run. This family focused event offers a choice of a 5 mile run, 3.1 mile run, or 3.1 mile walk race option offering everyone a course they can participate in. The race will be held in uptown Rocky Mount on Saturday, December 17, 2022, with an 9:00 AM start. The funds generated from sponsorships and registration fees support the Southern VA Child Advocacy Center’s services.
Navy vet beaten by federal agents: 'They came out to fight'
SALEM, Ore. The Navy veteran stands passively in Portland, Oregon, amid swirling tear gas. One protester was arrested after allegedly assaulting a federal officer with a hammer. Some were snatched off the streets by the federal officers and stuffed into unmarked vehicles. He put on a sweatshirt with Navy emblazoned across the chest and a Navy ballcap, figuring the federal officers would be, like him, a military veteran. The federal officers, in full tactical gear, came charging out of the federal building.
How the Black Lives Matter generation remembers John Lewis
In this June 7, 2020 photo provided by the Executive Office of District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser, John Lewis looks over a section of 16th Street that's been renamed Black Lives Matter Plaza in Washington. In one of his last public appearances, he posed for a picture in June, standing on the Black Lives Matter Plaza mural painted just outside of the White House amid nationwide protests over the death of George Floyd. For the Black Lives Matter generation, the connection to Lewis is deeper than many may realize. And I just kept thinking to myself, do not let John Lewis down. Congressman John Lewis encouraged me to see the power in stories about our people and our fight for freedom.___Morrison is a member of the APs Race and Ethnicity team.
'Black Lives' mural outside Trump Tower defaced for 3rd time
New York Police Department officers attempt to detain a protester who defaced with black paint the Black Lives Matter mural outside of Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue Saturday, July 18, 2020, in the Manhattan borough of New York. The Black Lives Matter street mural in front of Manhattans Trump Tower has been defaced with paint for the third time in a week. In the latest incident, two women were arrested around 3 p.m. Saturday after police said they poured black paint on the block-long mural outside Trump Tower on Manhattans chic Fifth Avenue. Meanwhile, police are continuing to look for a man in black shorts and a dark blue T-shirt who was seen splashing red paint on the Black Lives Matter mural around noon on Monday. Mayor Bill de Blasio helped paint the mural in front of President Donald Trumps namesake tower last week.
Statue of Black UK protester removed from plinth in Bristol
The sculpture of protester Jen Reid was installed without the knowledge or consent of Bristol City Council and was removed by the council 24 hours later. (Ben Birchall/PA via AP)LONDON Officials in the English city of Bristol on Thursday removed a statue of a Black Lives Matter activist that was installed on a plinth once occupied by a monument to a 17th-century slave trader. City authorities fished the Colston statue out of the harbor and say it will be placed in a museum, along with placards from the Black Lives Matter demonstration. Bristol Mayor Marvin Rees said the decision about what replaces it must be made by the people of Bristol. This is not about taking down a statue of Jen, who is a very impressive woman, Rees told the BBC.
Black Lives Matter billboard placed next to Confederate flag
A Black Lives Matter billboard is seen next to a Confederate flag in Pittsboro, N.C., Thursday, July 16, 2020. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)A Black Lives Matter sign now fills a billboard next to a big Confederate flag that greets people coming into a small town outside Raleigh, thrilling some community organizers and angering the property owner. Friends called and asked if they could put a Confederate flag on my property," White said. He says they did it because the county commissioners had removed the Confederate statue.White has leased the billboard to Lamar Advertising, which sent representatives to notify him before putting up the Black Lives Matter sign on it. They wanted to know how I would react to it, and I told them I would not want a Black Lives Matter sign on that billboard, he said.
Statue of Black protester replaces toppled UK slave trader
(AP Photo/Matt Dunham)LONDON An artist has erected a statue of a Black Lives Matter protester atop the plinth in the English city of Bristol once occupied by the toppled statue of a slave trader. Marc Quinn created the likeness of Jen Reid, a protester photographed standing on the plinth after demonstrators pulled down the statue of Edward Colston and dumped it in Bristols harbor on June 7. The statue, titled A Surge of Power (Jen Reid) was erected before dawn on Wednesday without approval from city officials. Colston was a 17th-century trader who made a fortune transporting enslaved Africans across the Atlantic to the Americas. Now were crystallizing it.Reid told The Guardian newspaper that the new statue was incredible and would help continue the conversation.City authorities fished the Colston statue out of the harbor and say it will be placed in a museum, along with placards from the Black Lives Matter demonstration.
Michael B. Jordan wants you to view a drive-in movie, on him
FILE - In this July, 26, 2019 photo, actor and producer Michael B. Jordan poses for a portrait during the 2019 Television Critics Association Summer Press Tour in Beverly Hills, Calif. Jordan has partnered with Amazon Studios for A Night at the Drive-In that will bring diverse films to drive-in theaters for free screenings. (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP, File)NEW YORK For Michael B. Jordan, timing is everything. So when the SAG award winner marched in a Los Angeles Black Lives Matter protest last month demanding that Hollywood drastically increase its diversity in the executive ranks, it was a moment he felt prepared for. Jennifer Salke, head of Amazon Studios, said the partnership falls into the companys efforts to support social justice initiatives. What were doing right now while we have the energy and the momentum, lets continue to keep the conversation pushing forward, Jordan said.
Homeland Security gets new role under Trump monument order
Some are also facing off against federal officers whose presence reflects President Donald Trump's decision to make cracking down on violent mayhem a federal priority. Once we surged federal law enforcement officers to Portland, the agitators quickly got the message, said the official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing operation. I dont have authority to order federal officers to do things, Davis said. It does complicate things for us.The DHS officers presence comes at an incredibly tense moment for Portland. A former DHS official said BORTAC agents were viewed as highly trained, valuable, scarce resources and would typically be used for domestic law enforcement in extraordinary circumstances.
MLS returns to action after poignant moment of silence
(AP Photo/John Raoux)KISSIMMEE, Fla. Nearly 200 players took the field for an 8-minute, 46-second moment of silence to protest racial injustice before Major League Soccers return to action Wednesday night. Players wore black T-shirts, black gloves and black facemasks emblazoned with Black Lives Matter. The shirts had varying slogans that included Black And Proud, Silence Is Violence and Black All The Time. The group was formerly called the Black Players Coalition of MLS but changed its name this week to Black Players for Change. MLS players had weeks to decide what to do prior to the MLS is Back tournament at ESPNs Wide World of Sports complex at Disney World.
Mayor helps paint 'Black Lives Matter' outside Trump Tower
Mayor Bill de Blasio, third from left, participates in painting Black Lives Matter on Fifth Avenue in front of Trump Tower, Thursday, July 9, 2020, in New York. Al Sharpton as he helped paint the racial justice rallying cry in giant yellow letters on Fifth Avenue in front of Trump Tower. Our streets!When we say Black Lives Matter, there is no more American statement, there is no more patriotic statement because there is no America without Black America, de Blasio said. We are acknowledging the truth of ourselves as Americans by saying Black Lives Matter. We are righting a wrong.The mayor announced the plan to paint Black Lives Matter in front of Trump Tower last month after earlier saying the slogan would be painted on streets at several locations around the city. Trump lived in Trump Tower before he took office as president but has spent little time there since.
Exhausted cities face another challenge: a surge in violence
Still reeling from the coronavirus pandemic and street protests over the police killing of Floyd, exhausted cities around the nation are facing yet another challenge: A surge in recent shootings has left dozens dead, including young children. The recent spasm of violence was captured in a New York Post headline about a crime-ravaged city crying out for help. Davon was murdered after a string of BLM (Black Lives Matter) violence on the Fourth of July," it read. Seventeen people were fatally shot in Chicago and 70 wounded, one of the bloodiest holiday weekends in memory there. Of all the things they are likely to be worried about, COVID is way down the list.___Long reported from Washington.
Damian Lillard emerges from shutdown ready for playoff push
Trail Blazers point guard Damian Lillard marches alongside protesters towards downtown Portland on the Morrison Bridge, on June 4, 2020. Im going to have my PS3, my PS4. Im going to have my studio equipment, my mike, my laptop. Im going to have all my books. Im going to be in the room, chillin'.
Formula 1 season starts 4 months later in a different world
Four months after the opening race was called off amid last-minute pandemonium the Formula One season finally gets underway this weekend in Austria. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft, File)SPIELBERG Four months after the opening race was called off at the last minute, the Formula One season finally gets underway this weekend on another continent and in a different-looking world. It is so important that we seize this moment, said Hamilton, the only Black driver to become F1 champion. F1 still hopes to rearrange some of the postponed races in order to finish the season with 15-18 of the scheduled 22. The 22-year-old Verstappen showed last season that he is closing the gap to Hamilton in terms of wheel-to-wheel driving.
Ertz, Short say soul-searching led to vulnerability on field
(AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)Chicago Red Stars teammates Julie Ertz and Casey Short say hard conversations over the past several weeks led to their vulnerability in the moment they shared an emotional embrace while they knelt during the national anthem as the NWSL opened its season. Short sobbed as she was held by Ertz before Chicago's match against the Washington Spirit on Saturday night, the second game of the National Women's Soccer League tournament in Utah. Currently, every time the national anthem is played, our country continues to become more and more divided on what the visual symbol of unity looks like, Short and Ertz said in a joint statement they released Tuesday. Often these opinions are presented through the individuals lens and do not accurately portray how the two of us truly feel, Short and Ertz said. The NWSL players association released a statement in support of all players, no matter their decision.
Greece: Plan to rein in protests triggers protests
Protesters take part in a rally in favor of migrants who live in Greece, in Athens, on Saturday, June 20, 2020. Some hundreds of protesters marched against the possible discontinuation of a migrants' housing program which will leave thousands without a place to stay. But political opponents say they plan to defeat the proposals with mass demonstrations. Under draft legislation submitted to parliament late Monday, participation in a protest rally held without police permission could be punishable by up to a year in prison. A labor union backed by the Greek Communist Party said it planned to organize mass rallies against the proposals.
DC mayor caught between activists, police in funding battle
FILE - In this June 16, 2020, file photo District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser wears a mask with the number 51 over a map of the District of Columbia during a news conference on D.C. statehood on Capitol Hill in Washington. Bowser must pull off a public juggling act as the city budget becomes a battleground for the country's debate on overhauling law enforcement. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File)
Trump, statehood, police funding fight up DC mayor's profile
With conservatives painting her as a radical riot-supporter, Bowser must thread this needle with both Black Lives Matter and the White House watching her every move. “Would you trust Mayor Bowser to keep Washington safe if she were given the powers of a governor? Bowser responded by renaming the protest epicenter, within sight of the White House, as Black Lives Matter Plaza. We’re here in the streets because we already know we matter.”April Goggans, a core organizer with Black Lives Matter DC, rejected Bowser's moves as “taking advantage of national attention,” and added, “She would never even say the words ‘Black Lives Matter’ until recently." “Black Lives Matter is very critical of police.
Black Lives Matter network debunks Trump Twitter post
Black Lives Matter leader states, If U.S. doesnt give us what we want, then we will burn down this system and replace it. Hawk Newsome has no relation to the Black Lives Matter Global Network, Scales said. Reached by phone Thursday night, Newsome said Black Lives Matter Greater New York is now under the leadership of Black women. He also said Black Lives Matter is not a movement over which anyone can claim ownership. In Washington, D.C., the mayor ordered the words Black Lives Matter painted across a street near the White House, which also has been renamed Black Lives Matter Plaza.
Tattoo artist sees bump in desire to erase hateful skin art
Alexander Lawrence, who runs Mountainside Tattoo from a storefront in the village of Bellows Falls, Vermont, says hes always offered to remove hateful images or cover scars for free. When asked why he got the tattoo, Graves answered, Stupidity, partying when I was younger. So not only are they racist, but they're crappy.Graves said his swastika tattoo hasnt drawn a lot of attention because its hidden, but he was still eager to get rid of it. Since Graves' tattoo already has the image of a skull, Alexander used a pen to outline the image of the grim reaper. What do you think, man? Alexander asks Graves as he gives the arm a final wipe-down.
Unilever to drop terms like 'whitening' from beauty products
THE HAGUE Consumer products giant Unilever said Thursday it is aiming for a more inclusive vision of beauty in its skin care products and will remove words such as fair, whitening and lightening from its products, a move that comes amid intense global debate about race sparked by the Black Lives Matter movement. As part of the shift, Unilever will in coming months change the name of its Fair & Lovely product that is used for skin-lightening and sold in Asia, the company said. We are fully committed to having a global portfolio of skin care brands that is inclusive and cares for all skin tones, celebrating greater diversity of beauty," Sunny Jain, the head of Unilevers Beauty & Personal Care. Unilever said that its Fair & Lovely range has never been, and is not, a skin bleaching product. The global consumer company said its advertising for Fair & Lovely products has been changing since 2014. In 2019, we reflected this evolution on the Fair & Lovely pack in India, removing before-and-after impressions and shade guides that could indicate a transformation; and we have progressed all communication of product benefits towards glow, even tone, skin clarity and radiance, the company said.
Probe underway of bean bag shot that blinded man in 1 eye
CLEVELAND A bean bag shooting by law enforcement at a Cleveland Black Lives Matter protest that left a man blinded in one eye is under investigation by state and local authorities, an official said. It was unclear in reports last week who fired the bean bag at John Sanders, 24, on May 30 outside the Cuyahoga County Justice Center in downtown Cleveland. Cuyahoga County spokeswoman late Tuesday confirmed that sheriff's deputies deployed non-lethal weapons that resemble shotguns to fire bean bags that day. Murray said he has received photographs showing officers firing weapons through a broken window at the Justice Center that day. He was on a sidewalk when he was struck by a bean bag fired from behind a broken window.
Police investigating 'White Lives Matter' banner
A plane towing a banner reading White Lives Matter Burnley flies above the stadium during the during the English Premier League soccer match between Manchester City and Burnley at Etihad Stadium, in Manchester, England, Monday, June 22, 2020. (AP Photo/Shaun Botterill,Pool)BURNLEY Police are looking into an incident in which a plane pulled a banner with the words White Lives Matter Burnley on it over Manchester Citys Etihad Stadium at the start of a Premier League match between the teams. The aircraft came into view moments after players and coaches from both clubs took a knee at kickoff on Monday in support of the Black Lives Matter movement. When the league season resumed last week amid the coronavirus outbreak, Black Lives Matter replaced player names on the backs of shirts. Iffy Onuora, the equalities officer for English soccers players union, said he hoped the widespread condemnation of the banner will act as a catalyst for further conversations about the Black Lives Matter movement.
Did TikTok teens, K-Pop fans punk Trump's comeback rally?
OAKLAND, Calif. – Did teens, TikTok users and fans of Korean pop music troll the president of the United States? Reached by telephone Sunday, Schmidt called the rally an “unmitigated disaster” — days after Trump campaign chairman Brad Parscale tweeted that more than a million people requested tickets for the rally through Trump’s campaign website. In a statement, the Trump campaign blamed the “fake news media" for “warning people away from the rally" over COVID-19 and protests against racial injustice around the country. “Reporters who wrote gleefully about TikTok and K-Pop fans — without contacting the campaign for comment — behaved unprofessionally and were willing dupes to the charade." “No matter who signs up or if they go to a rally, Trump gets data to train retargeting on Facebook.
While Confederate statues come down, other symbols targeted
Sundays work follows the removal of two other Confederate statues on the state Capitol grounds in Raleigh on Saturday. Cooper ordered the statues removed after protesters toppled two other Confederate statues Friday night, stringing one up by the neck and hanging it from a light pole. Cooper has advocated the statues removal for years. In another case in California, symbols of the Black Lives Matter movement have been targeted in recent weeks with vandalism. The Ventura County Sheriffs Office said late Saturday that a tarp painted with the letters BLM has been repeatedly damaged in Thousand Oaks.
Another loss, another injury: Arsenal struggles on PL return
Things are going from bad to worse for Arsenal in the early days of the Premier Leagues resumption. Sure enough, it was the French striker who scored the winning goal in the fifth minute of stoppage time. Some of their players need to learn what is humility, especially one of them, Maupay said, without mentioning Guendouzi by name. Arteta lost midfielder Granit Xhaka and defender Pablo Mari to injury against City, with Mari unlikely to return before next season. Ben Chilwell was mobbed by his Leicester teammates after smashing home a rising, angled shot off the inside of the post in the 90th minute for what looked like the winning goal.
Thunberg has hope for climate, despite leaders' inaction
Climate activist Greta Thunberg during a radio statement at the 'Sveriges Radio' in Stockholm, Sweden, Sunday, June 14, 2020. The 17-year-old has become a global figurehead of the youth climate movement since she started her one-woman protests outside the Swedish parliament in 2018. To Thunberg's disappointment, her message doesn't seem to be getting through even to those leaders who applaud her work. Thunberg asks her audience on Swedish radio station P1. The climate and sustainability crisis is not a fair crisis, Thunberg says.
Slave's grave vandalized in UK city in apparent retaliation
The Grade II-listed, brightly painted memorial to Scipio Africanus have been smashed and a message was scrawled in chalk on flagstones nearby. (Ben Birchall/PA via AP)LONDON British officials said Thursday the grave of an enslaved African man has been vandalised in an apparent retaliation attack after protesters in the city of Bristol toppled the statue of a prominent slave trader. Two headstones in memory of Scipio Africanus, who lived in Bristol in the 18th century, were smashed. This looks like a retaliation attack for the recent events involving the Colston statue, local official Mark Weston said. During his life, Scipio Africanus was a servant to Charles Howard, the 7th Earl of Suffolk.
Black Lives Matter banner removed at US Embassy in Seoul
In this June 14, 2020 photo, U.S. flag flutters next to a giant Black Lives Matter banner at the U.S. Embassy in Seoul, South Korea. The banner has been removed from the U.S. Embassy building in South Korea's capital three days after it was raised there in solidarity with protesters back home. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)SEOUL A large Black Lives Matter banner has been removed from the U.S. Embassy building in South Korea's capital three days after it was raised there in solidarity with protesters back home. The Black Lives Matter banner was seen as support of worldwide movements honoring George Floyd, a black man who died in handcuffs while a white Minneapolis police officer pressed a knee on his neck. His death last month has prompted weeks of protests in the United States and around the world with the same theme: Black Lives Matter.
Oklahoma St. coach Gundy apologizes for wearing OAN T-shirt
Gundy is seen in a photograph on Twitter wearing the T-shirt with the letters OAN. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki, File)OKLAHOMA CITY One day after Oklahoma State running back Chuba Hubbard lashed out at coach Mike Gundy on social media for wearing a T-shirt promoting a far-right news channel, Gundy apologized. On Monday evening, Hubbard and Gundy appeared in a video together, with Gundy saying he would make changes. Our players matter to me.Gundy was seen in a photograph on Twitter wearing the shirt with the letters OAN. I will not be doing anything with Oklahoma State until things CHANGE.Hubbard's tweet drew support from past and present Oklahoma State players.
Rethinking police: How Camden, NJ, reimagined its force
In this June 11, 2020, photo Lourdes Sherby, center, with Guadalupe Family Services, hands diapers to Louisa Peralta in Camden, N.J. While police elsewhere clashed with Black Lives Matter protesters outraged by the latest death of a black man detained by police, Camden officers marched calmly with residents and activists. What we should be trying to do is de-escalate them, said Thomson, a past president of the Police Executive Research Forum who retired from the Camden job last year. The estimated $3 billion in development attracts suburbanites and employs some Camden residents. Still, Brown, the activist and entrepreneur, laments that too few Camden residents make it onto the new force, which is 54 percent minority.
Rallies hit Australia for 2nd weekend, some banned
Hundreds of police disrupted plans for a Black Lives Matter rally but protest organizers have vowed that other rallies will continue around Australia over the weekend despite warnings of the pandemic risk. However, protesters in Sydney, Adelaide and Perth were urged to stay away by government officials concerned about the risk of spreading the new coronavirus. Police in New South Wales have warned anyone attending the Sydney protest risked being fined and arrested. Aboriginal people and Torres Strait Islanders comprise 2% of the the country's adult population but 27% of the prison population. One woman was fined on Friday night for disobeying a police order to move on during a Black Lives Matter protest in Sydney.
The Latest: 10 resign from SWAT team amid safety concerns
SWAT team amid safety concerns. Judge orders pause on use of tear gas against protesters in Seattle. ___HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. Ten members of a South Florida police departments SWAT team have resigned from the team, citing safety concerns and local officials disdain for the unit. Police Chief Sonia Quinones received a memo from the SWAT team Friday morning, City Manager Greg Chavarria said in a statement, according to news outlets. Bowe, a 34-year-old black man, was killed in 2014 by Hallandale Beachs SWAT team as it carried out a search warrant and raided his home.
New Zealand city removes statue of its 'murderous' namesake
In this image provided by Hamilton City Council, council workers remove the bronze statue of British Captain John Fane Charles Hamilton from a square in central Hamilton, New Zealand, Friday, June 12, 2020. The New Zealand city of Hamilton on Friday removed a bronze statue of the British naval officer the city is named after a man who is accused of killing indigenous Maori people in the 1860s. (Hamilton City Council via AP)WELLINGTON The New Zealand city of Hamilton on Friday removed a bronze statue of the British naval officer for whom it is named a man who is accused of killing indigenous Maori people in the 1860s. The removal by city authorities came a day after a Maori tribe asked for the statue be taken down and one Maori elder threatened to tear it down himself. In the 1860s, it was renamed after Captain John Hamilton, a British officer who was killed in the infamous Gate Pa battle in the city of Tauranga.