Days after the publication of false reports that Sadiq Khan was blocking the installation of a new statue of the Queen in Trafalgar Square, the mayor of London continues to be the subject of online vitriol.
It comes after The Telegraph published a story titled “No room for Queen Elizabeth II statue on Trafalgar Square’s fourth plinth, rules Sadiq Khan”, despite a statement from the mayor that that was not the case.
Mr Khan was soon subjected to racist attacks online after several digital media outlets also picked up on the report, which stated that a statue of the late Queen could not be placed on the plinth because a programme for its use has been set out for the next four years of Mr Khan’s tenure.
The Mayor of London’s office had said that the Fourth Plinth would continue to be reserved for temporary modern art commissions.
A further statement from the Greater London Authority, however, clarified that the location of any statue of the late Queen was a decision for the King and the royal family.
It added: “A statue of the Queen at a suitable location in London is a matter for the royal family to consider, and of course, the Greater London Authority stands ready to support them in their wishes.”
Mr Khan later also issued a statement that said that he was happy to support the royals in their wishes to use “the fourth plinth, if that is the royal family’s preference”.
Despite this, on social media platforms commentators continued to attack Mr Khan and accused him of not being “patriotic”.
One user wrote: “The fact that sadiq khan would rather a Malawian be on the fourth plinth than our late queen who dedicated her life to this country tells you everything about how he views britain [sic].”
“Antelope” by Malawi artist Samson Kambalu is the latest sculpture to take up the mantle, replacing Heather Phillipson’s depiction of a drone swirling around a dollop of whipped cream called “The End”.
Kambalu’s anti-imperialist sculpture is a dedication to John Chilembwe, who led a rebellion against British rule in modern-day Malawi.
Another Twitter user labelled the mayor’s reported attempt to block a statue of the Queen as “disgraceful!”
Another user wrote on Twitter: “Why oh why is this despicable man still Mayor of London. He needs to go!”
Others, meanwhile, argued that “the 4th plinth is way too modest for our late Queen.” One user noted that it is “totally unsuitable. Something grand in Green Park would be good. No need to rush and it shouldn’t become party political. Queen Elizabeth was loved by the vast majority of ‘so-called’ Lefties.”
The Telegraph later amended the headline of its story to state simply that a statue of the Queen would not appear on the fourth plinth in the “foreseeable future”.
