Egerton Ryerson was one of the architects of Canada's residential school system (forced separation of indigenous children from their families). Ryerson is also the namesake of Ryerson University in Toronto.
The statue was defaced earlier in the week with red paint, meant to symbolize the blood of native children. Yesterday, a truck pulled up and toppled the statue. The University has already said the statue will not be replaced. Hundreds of professors at Ryerson have not called on the university to change its name.
Source: CBC News
The statue of Egerton Ryerson that stood outside the university that bears his name "will not be restored or replaced," the school's president said Monday, after it was toppled following a demonstration in Toronto.
There had been growing calls in recent years from staff and students for the statue of Ryerson, considered one of the primary architects of Canada's residential school system, to be removed from the university's downtown campus.
Instead, the statue was brought down Sunday evening after a rally held in response to the preliminary discovery of the remains of as many as 215 Indigenous children buried on the site of a former residential school in Kamloops, B.C.
Today was a great day!!! pic.twitter.com/DuR6dGc0jn
— CaptCanuck - Antifa Intel High Command (@CaptCanuck6) June 6, 2021
I'm thinkin' Andy here, a right winger no doubt, is omitting one important detail.
Far-left activists in Toronto toppled a statue of Egerton Ryerson today at Ryerson University. The 19th century Methodist minister helped design Canada’s education system. pic.twitter.com/puh2jmpl39
— Andy Ngô (@MrAndyNgo) June 7, 2021
