The Telegraph claimed the London mayor had ruled out a sculpture of the late Queen on Trafalger Square’s fourth plinth
Sadiq Khan has received a wave of social media abuse, some of it racist, after newspapers incorrectly reported he might block a new statue of the Queen, days after the London mayor warned some media outlets were “monetising” hatred.
The story, initially reported by the Telegraph under the headline, ‘No room for Queen Elizabeth II statue on Trafalgar Square’s fouth plinth, rules Sadiq Khan,’ was printed despite a statement saying this was not the case.
The fourth plinth in the square is occupied by a rolling series of sculptures and artworks, currently a statue of John Chilembwe, a Baptist pastor who led a revolt against the British in what is now Malawi in 1915, in which he was killed.
