Hamilton lashes out at UK government for COVID handling

Lewis Hamilton continued his online activism on Monday, lashing out at the UK government for its handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and voicing his support for protesters who tore down in Bristol a statue of a slave trader.

Since the onset of the social unrest in America following the tragic death of George Floyd, Hamilton has weighed in on racial injustice matters, using Instagram as his preferred platform to address his over 16 million followers.

But on Monday, the six-time world champion took aim at the British government, criticizing its delayed response to the global coronavirus pandemic.

• Hamilton foresees 2020 as 'most important year of our lives'

"I'm appalled at the UK government on how they have handled covid," Hamilton wrote.

"You should have closed the boarders months ago. How you can let people fly in from countries without being tested is baffling.

"You could have saved thousands of lives. We need better leaders!"

But F1's mega star tagged on another scathing rant in the same Instagram post, backing anti-racism 'Black Lives Matter' demonstrators who tore down in the city of Bristol on Sunday a statue of 17th century slave owner Edward Colston.

Protesters used ropes to pull down the monument before dragging it into Bristol's harbour where slave ships once docked centuries ago.

"If those people hadn't taken down that statue, honouringa racist slave trader, it would never have been removed," he added.

"There's talks of it going into a museum. That man's statue should stay in the river just like the 20 thousand African souls who died on the journey here and thrown into the sea, with no burial or memorial.

"He stole them from their families, country and he must not be celebrated! It should be replaced with a memorial for all those he sold, all that lost their lives!"

In a separate story post, the six-time British world champion added: "I challenge government officials worldwide to make these changes and implement the peaceful removal of these racist symbols.'

Chancellor of the Exchequer Sajid Javid reacted to the demonstrators actions.

"I grew up in Bristol. I detest how Edward Colston profited from the slave trade," said Sajid.

"But, THIS IS NOT OK.

"If Bristolians wants to remove a monument it should be done democratically - not by criminal damage."

However, Marvin Rees, the Mayor of Bristol who is of Jamaican heritage voiced a different view than the UK government's cabinet minister.

"I cannot pretend that I have any real sense of loss for the statue, and I cannot pretend it was anything other than a personal affront to me to have it in the middle of Bristol, the city in which I grew up."

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