Luther King statue criticised

THE centrepiece for the Martin Luther King memorial on the National Mall in Washington has drawn criticism from a federal arts panel, which says the proposed statue looks "confrontational" and resembles the head of a socialist state more than a civil rights leader.

Models for the 28ft tall statue, carved by Chinese sculptor Yei Yixin, were sent back after it was found to reflect a "genre of political sculpture that has recently been pulled down in other countries".

King was to be depicted emerging from a block of granite with his arms folded in front of his chest, his legs firmly rooted and a fierce, determined gaze on his face.