A crowd pulled down the statue of Queen Victoria in Winnipeg Canada. ReutersThis week, protesters toppled Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth II statues in Winnipeg, Canada.Among other events that took place on Canada Day, the statues were taken down.After unmarked graves were discovered at schools for Indigenous children, protestors took action.For more stories, visit Insider's homepage.Canada's Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth II statues were toppled after outrage at the discovery of nearly 1,000 Indigenous children's unmarked graves.Reuters reported that a crowd chanted "no Pride in Genocide" before removing the statues of the monarchs from Canada Day, an annual holiday to celebrate the Canadian Confederation.Protesters toppled a statue of Queen Victoria in front of the Manitoba provincial legislature. She ruled from 1837 to 1901 when Canada was part the British Empire.Red paints and hand prints were used to cover the statue of Queen Elizabeth. ReutersPhotos by Reuters show the pedestal and statue were covered with red paint marks. The group reportedly danced around the statue while they toppled it.Reuters reported that a statue of Queen Elizabeth II (current head of Canada's state) was also taken down. Some view Queen Victoria and her as symbols of Canada’s colonial past.Insider reached out to Buckingham Palace but was not immediately able to respond.After unmarked graves of children were discovered at Canadian Indigenous schools, the protestors took action.These protests follow outrage over the discovery of unmarked graves that belonged to Indigenous children. ReutersGround-penetrating radar was used to find the bodies of 215 children at the Kamloops Indian residential school site in British Columbia in May. Kamloops was home to thousands of Indigenous children who were sent there during the 19th century and 20th centuries. It was also the largest Indian Affairs residential school.The remains of 761 children, aged between 8 and 15, were discovered at the former Marieval Indian Residential School in Saskatchewan.Some see Queen Elizabeth II and Queen Victoria symbols of Canada's colonial past. ReutersReuters reported that schools have separated Indigenous children from their families for 165 years. According to Reuters, the children were subjected both to physical and sexual abuse as well as malnourishment.Continue the storySchools were run mainly by the Catholic Church, and were funded by the government.Last month, the United Nations Human Rights Office called upon the Vatican to investigate the mass burial at Kamloops School."Large-scale human rights violations against indigenous children have been committed, it is impossible that Canada or the Holy See would leave such heinous acts unaccounted for and without full remedy," said the UN in a statement.Canada Day Address: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stated that the discoveries had "rightfully pressed us [to reflect on our country’s historical failures]".Boris Johnson, a spokesperson for Prime Minister Boris Johnson, told Reuters that any destruction of statues of Queen Elizabeth II was condemned by the government.Insider has the original article.
