Sinn Féin councillor Ciarán Beattie has said a statue of Frederick Douglass in Rosemary Street would be a fitting tribute to the Black Lives Matter movement throughout the world and showcase Belfast as a diverse and inclusive city for all. 

Cllr. Beattie said: 

“I am delighted that my proposal to write to the Department for Communities and request that they commission a statue for anti-slavery activist Frederick Douglass has passed the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee at Belfast City Council. 

“Frederick Douglass travelled to Belfast from 1845 and 1846 to speak about the suffering of slaves and campaigned for the abolition of slavery. 

“A statue for Frederick Douglass in Rosemary Street where he once spoke will be a fitting tribute to the Black Lives Matter movement throughout the world and showcase Belfast as a diverse and inclusive city for all.”