Four people who pulled down a statue of Edward Colston in Bristol during a Black Lives Matter protest have been acquitted of causing criminal damage on Wednesday. Milo Ponsford, 25, Jake Skuse, 36, Sage Willoughby, 21, and Rhian Graham, 29, were handed a verdict of not guilty by a jury at Bristol Crown Court. A large crowd of supporters had attended court every day of the trial, and there was a huge cheer from the public gallery as the not guilty verdicts were returned. One of the defendants, Willoughby, called the verdict “a victory” for Bristol, racial equality, and “anybody who wants to be on the right side of history.” But Downing said vandalism “remains a crime” and it expects police to take it “seriously,” while a cabinet minister said it’s unacceptable to destroy public property and the government will always “fix any loopholes in the law” when necessary. According to …