Darth Vader statue erected on Bristol plinth once belonging to BLM-toppled monument to slave trader

A statue of Darth Vader has appeared on a Bristol plinth where Black Lives Matter activists tore down a monument to slave trader Edward Colston. Actor Dave Prowse, who played the iconic villain in Star Wars, died in recent days.

Tributes to Bristol-native Prowse have been pouring in since news of his death at age 85 broke on Sunday. There were numerous calls for a monument to be erected in his honour and it appears that someone took matters into their own hands and erected the Vader statue on the empty Colston plinth.  

It isn’t yet clear who is responsible for the figurine, which only measures about a foot in height, or whether it has permission to be there. However, the development has been well received, with many calling for it to stay in place or else for a larger Vader statue to be installed in tribute to the local hero.

The Colston statue was torn down by protesters during the wave of Black Lives Matter demonstrations that swept the UK in June. The mob of activists threw the bronze bust of the 17th-century merchant into Bristol harbour.

Since Colston was removed the empty plinth has been occupied by various sculptures and statues, including a Black Lives Matter protester and a peculiar Jimmy Savile mannequin. However, they have all been quickly removed.

Prowse died following a short illness. The actor grew up on the outskirts of Bristol and was best known for his role in the original Star Wars trilogy.

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