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The Real Story: Toppling statues: When should they come down?

Factual

Toppling statues: When should they come down?

25/08/2017 GMT

BBC World Service - The Real Story, Toppling statues: When should they come down?

Owen Bennett-Jones and guests discuss what should be done about statues that offend

Violent clashes in Charlottesville have intensified the debate about the statues commemorating Confederate leaders. Owen Bennett-Jones and guests discuss what should be done

The violent clashes in Charlottesville, Virginia -  which left one woman dead and many others injured - have intensified the debate about the hundreds of statues and plaques commemorating Confederate leaders right across the United States.

So, what is the best way to remember troubled history? Should monuments be re-named, removed or ignored? Does pushing for more removals risk inflaming the identity politics at the root of the clashes in Charlottesville? 

Plus - what parallels are there with the UK, where events in the US have renewed debate about the many monuments to historical figures in Britain? Owen Bennett-Jones and a panel of guests debate what should be done about statues that offend. 

(Photo of the statue of Confederate General, Robert E. Lee, in Charlottesville, Virginia by Mark Wilson/Getty Images)

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