He described it as a “criminal act” and argued that there were other avenues for people to seek the statue’s removal. A statue’s toppling, often under circumstances of widespread popular approval, is also an act of history. Yet statues to Leopold still adorn the city and other parts of Belgium. On Tuesday, authorities in the Belgian city of Antwerp removed a statue of Leopold that had been graffitied by protesters. Societies once under the European colonial yoke have to reckon with their diverse histories of violence and discrimination.

Source: Washington Post June 09, 2020 03:56 UTC