Why was the King Leopold II statue removed?

Earlier this month, a figure of Leopold II in Antwerp was taken down after being severely damaged by anti-racism protesters who set it on fire and poured red paint all over it; since then, statues of the king have also been removed from university campuses in Mons and Leuven and an online petition to remove the king’s …

How many statues does King Leopold have?

There are at least 13 statues to Leopold II in Belgium, according to one crowd-sourced map, and numerous parks, squares and street names. One visitor to the Africa Museum, where an outdoor statue was defaced last week, disagreed with the idea of removing them – “they’re part of history,” he explained.

Are there statues of King Leopold?

Several statues have been erected to honour the legacy of Leopold II in Belgium. According to Professor of Colonial History Idesbald Goddeeris of Leuven University (2018), most of the statues date from the interwar period, the peak of colonial-patriotic propaganda.

Which European country has seen monuments of a 19th century monarch Vandalised?

There is a renewed focus on the European nation’s history after the death of George Floyd in police custody in the US and the Black Lives Matter protests that followed. Thousands of Belgians have demonstrated in recent weeks and statues of Belgium’s colonial leader King Leopold II have been vandalised.

How many people died by Leopold?

15 million people
And, indeed, it is estimated that up to 15 million people died during Leopold II’s rule, either due to the repression or the terrible living conditions imposed on the local population, with widespread disease and malnourishment.

Do Belgians still live in Congo?

White Congolese Belgian nuns were at the center of the 1976 Ebola outbreak at a clinic in Yambuku, with several white health workers becoming fatally ill with the virus. 5,000 people from Belgium and 5,000 people from Greece currently live in DR Congo.

Why do they cut off hands in Africa?

To make up for the low production, troops began to use hands as currency – chopping them was a way of punishing workers who did not fulfill their quotas, and, at the same time, served to show that soldiers were doing their part in exerting pressure over the local population to ensure the fulfillment of these quotas.

Are there statues of King Leopold II in Belgium?

A statue of King Leopold II in Brussels, Brussels stands defaced on Wednesday, June 10. (CNN) While statues of slave traders, imperialists and US Confederate leaders are being torn down, removed or protested against in the English-speaking world, Belgium has begun removing statues of its one-time King Leopold II. Never heard of him.

Where are the statues and sculptures in Brussels?

To the opposite side of the Grand Place, at the end of the saunter delight Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert, La Cycliste shows off her stuff. Alain Séchas’ cartoonish feline on a bike is a welcome splash of color connecting the grand arcades and legendary Brussels café A La Mort Subite.

How tall is the statue of Joseph Plateau in Brussels?

Joseph Plateau discovered the principle of persistence of vision, one of the basic principles of cinematography: our brain perceives the illusion of movement as of 24 images per second. A monument pays tribute to him in Brussels and shows important scenes from cinema’s history. This four-metre high work of art was created by Peter Weidenbaum.

How many people climbed on statue of Leopold?

During a protest in Brussels on Sunday that drew more than 10,000 people, some climbed on another statue of Leopold and flew a giant flag of the Democratic Republic of Congo, chanting “murderer” and “reparations.” As of Tuesday evening, 65,000 people had signed a petition to remove all statues of Leopold II from across the country.