Windows honouring the 17th century slave trader Edward Colston are being removed from Bristol Cathedral and another prominent church in the city.
Work was carried out on Monday to cover up parts of the cathedral’s large Colston Window, ahead of its removal.
Panes from a window at St Mary Redcliffe Church were also taken down on Monday, with other references to Colston also covered up at the sites.
It is the latest trace of the merchant to vanish from the city after Black Lives Matter protesters tore down his statue earlier this month and dumped it in Bristol's harbour.
The Diocese of Bristol hailed the toppling of the Colston statue on June 7 as a “symbolic moment” and “signal for change”.
“The dedications to Colston, in two significant places of worship, has prevented many people from finding peace in these beautiful buildings,” it said in a statement.
“Most of these dedications have now gone and the rest will follow,
“The removal or covering of window panes is also a symbolic moment.
“It doesn’t change history and it doesn’t change the fact that black people in Bristol, Britain and the world still face discrimination, injustice and racism.
“We must not let it distract us from the work that needs to be done.”
The diocese said it hoped the move demonstrated its “renewed sense of urgency to address these issues”.
Discussions and work around the transatlantic slave trade, racism, identify and justice will continue at Bristol Cathedral, St Mary Redcliffe Church and the Church of England in Bristol, it added.
Protesters throw statue of Edward Colston into Bristol harbour
Protesters used ropes to rip a statue of Colston from its plinth earlier this month, following years of debate over its resented presence.
It was thrown into the water to the roars of huge crowds at Pero’s Bridge – named in honour of enslaved man Pero Jones who lived and died in the city.
Bristol City Council retrieved the statue and plans to house it in a museum, but it prompted anti-racist activists to draw up a target list of 78 other British statues with links to slavery.
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Since the removal of the statue, music venue Colston Hall and high-rise building Colston Tower have both removed lettering from their facades.
Both Colston’s Girls’ School and the separate Colston’s School are considering a name change.
