Oxford University Leader Won't 'Rewrite History' To Remove Cecil Rhodes Statue

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The chancellor of Oxford University has warned against rewriting history in his first public comments on a student campaign to remove a statue of 19th century colonialist Cecil Rhodes from one of the university's colleges.

Inspired by protests at the University of Cape Town in South Africa, which led to its statue of Rhodes being removed last April, the "Rhodes Must Fall in Oxford" campaign says the statue at Oriel College celebrates a brutal racist.

The dispute is one of a growing number of university controversies over issues of history and identity, often pitting freedom of speech arguments against demands for symbols deemed offensive by some students to be removed.