Digital media company Mashable tweeted a video Wednesday teaching viewers how to tear down a statue.
“We’re not telling you to commit crimes,” the video’s caption reads, “but we talked to an archaeologist who authored a viral Twitter thread with this very take.” (RELATED: US Army Is Now Considering Renaming Federal Bases That Honor Confederate Leaders)
If you were to hypothetically come across a statue that was in need of removal, this is how you’d get it done pic.twitter.com/WHVHoWlsCf
— Mashable (@mashable) June 24, 2020
Mashable reporter Morgan Sung explained in the video that a lot of people want to tear down historical statues because “a lot of our historical figures, regardless of their legacy, were pretty damn racist.”
Protesters who had advocated for removing Confederate statues have now moved on to call for the removal of a variety of historical monuments, including those of Theodore Roosevelt, Christopher Columbus, Thomas Jefferson and Ulysses S. Grant.
“Obviously, we’re not telling you to commit any crimes, and we also can’t tell you to deface any property,” Sung says. “But we thought it would be interesting to look at a purely hypothetical way to safely remove a statue.”
Mashable talked to archaeologist Sarah Parcack about the issue, who made a viral tweet thread about how to topple a statue, according to the video.
It’s important to use chains to wrap around the top of the statue, not rope, Sung said. Everyone should make sure to wear gloves and stay a safe distance from the falling monument.
An upbeat song to coordinate pulling helps too, Sung added. “It’s like a game of revolutionary tug-of-war.”
Protesters argue that leaving statues in public places is a symbol of white supremacy. Parcack agrees, Sung said, and thinks statues should be in a museum with “context.”
Sung encourages people to petition their governments to remove the statues, but says that “if all else fails, bottoms up, baby.”