Anti-racism campaigners have used the name of a Fife man who died while in police custody as part of a protest against prominent Glasgow roads named after merchants in the slave trade.
Several streets including Buchanan Street, Cochrane Street, Ingram Street, Glassford Street and others like Jamaica Street and Virginia Street celebrate the merchants and the places were traders made their wealth.
Now anonymous campaigners have attached signs to buildings on these streets with alternatives.
Cochrane Street, which runs through the city’s George Square, has had ‘Sheku Bayoh Street’ pinned underneath its current name plaque.
Mr Bayoh died in 2015 aged 32 after being restrained by officers responding to a call in Kirkcaldy, and his family believes race played a part in his death.
Other street signs have also been targeted, including Buchanan Street which has had a sign reading ‘George Floyd Street’ put up.
Protests have been staged across the US and other parts in the world in the wake of Mr Floyd’s death in police custody.
Thousands of people have signed a petition to rename the city’s streets.
The change.org petition calls for streets including Glassford, Ingram and Buchanan Street to be renamed in order to “take these tobacco lords off the pedestal they seemingly stand on and instead recognise other Scottish activists who are deserving of such esteem”.
It comes as Ivan McKee, Glasgow Provan MSP and Scottish Government minister for Trade, suggested Glasgow could rename streets to “make a statement”.
“It is about recognition not blame but we could take away the names of individuals who have benefited from it,” the minister said.
