Authorities in Antwerp removed a statue of the former Belgian king and colonial ruler Leopold II on Tuesday after it was set on fire in protest at his oppressive rule of Congo.
The removal of the statue came after thousands of Belgians took to the streets at the weekend in support of the “Black Lives Matter” protests that have swept across Europe from the U.S. following George Floyd’s death while in police custody in Minneapolis.
Leopold II’s rule from 1865 to 1909 involved a reign of terror in the Congo, which he ran as his personal property before it became a Belgian colony.
In recent days, his statues in Brussels, Ostend, Ghent and other cities have been defaced, set on fire, covered in paint and daubed with the words “I can’t breathe,” the last words of George Floyd.
The Antwerp statue, located in the city’s Ekeren district, was painted red before being lit on fire, causing serious damage. Ekeren’s local Mayor Koen Palinckx, from the right-wing New Flemish Alliance, told the magazine Knack it had been removed for “thorough restoration.” He didn’t rule out returning it to its plinth, but said it was more likely to end up in a museum.
“The statue is in fact part of our historical heritage. You have to take care of that,” he said.
A long-running campaign to have statues of Leopold II removed, and his name removed from street signs, squares and public transport stops, has been renewed, with more than 60,000 people signing an online petition.
About 10,000 people joined Sunday’s Black Lives Matter demonstration in Brussels, which was not officially authorized by city authorities, but was allowed to go ahead.
Barbara Moens contributed reporting.