Statue of colonialist King Leopold II falls in Belgium as protesters demand end to glorification of slave-traders

The statue of a former monarch has been removed in the Belgian city of Antwerp after being daubed with red paint and set alight by anti-racism protesters.

Memorials to King Leopold II of Belgium have long been targeted by activists because of his brutal colonial rule in former central African colonies, particularly in what is now the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The bronze figure was finally lifted away on Tuesday after days of being defaced.

It came just 48 hours after Black Lives Matter (BLM) demonstrators in the British city of Bristol tore down a statue of slave trader Edward Colston and threw it into the harbour.

Speaking about the removal of Leopold II, Johan Vermant, a spokesman for Antwerp's mayor Bart de Wever, said: "The statue was seriously vandalised last week and needs to be restored by the Middelheim sculpture museum."

He added that it probably would not be returned to its public pedestal next to a church in the city’s district of Ekeren.

"Because of the renovation work planned for 2023 in the square in which it was placed, the statue will not be replaced. It will probably become part of the museum collection," Mr Vermant said.

A spokeswoman for the Middelheim Museum confirmed they had received the statue and said they would assess the damage, and the broader situation, before confirming what steps to take.

The statue of King Leopold II of Belgium is pictured on June 4 in Antwerp after being set on fire the night before
Belga/AFP via Getty Images

Six days earlier, in the wake of George Floyd’s death, a petition was started calling for the elimination of all tributes to the tyrannical ruler in the Belgian capital.

A message on the Change.org website reads in French: “Despite the disregard it shows the Congolese people, Leopold remains commemorated throughout Belgium.”

The message continued: “This is why we are asking Brussels authorities to remove all monuments to (him).

The damaged statue is seen being removed for possible renovation in Ekeren, Atwerp
via REUTERS

"Brussels welcomes millions of tourists each year – this is what we want to show them.”

Millions of Congolese were killed or beaten while working in rubber plantations and in military expeditions while the king amassed a huge personal fortune during his rule between 1865 and 1909.

The petition’s founders have suggested all statues of Leopold be removed by June 30 – the 60th anniversary of Congo’s independence.

Demonstrators stand on a statue of Leopold II as one of them holds a national flag of the Democratic Republic of Congo in Brussels
REUTERS

With the growing surge in support for the BLM movement, which has sparked global protests since Mr Floyd died in police custody in Minneapolis on May 25, a number of petitions have emerged online demanding controversial monuments in the UK are taken down.

In Edinburgh, a petition was launched to remove the statue of slave owner Henry Dundas in St Andrew Square and for streets bearing his name to be renamed.

In Wales, Cardiff’s first black Lord Mayor, Dan De’Ath, is calling on local councillors to remove the statue of Sir Thomas Picton, stating it is “no longer acceptable” for it to remain in City Hall.

Another petition was launched to take down the statue of Robert Clive, known as Clive of India, in The Square in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, which described the 18th century figure as “nothing more than an figure of oppression and white supremacy”.

Similarly, thousands of people have signed two new petitions calling for the statue of British colonialist Cecil Rhodes to be taken down from Oriel College at the University of Oxford.

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