In Antwerp, the statue of King Leopold II, controversial on the colonial question, has been removed from a square. - REX / SIPA

A whole symbol. It was withdrawn from its base, just to end up in an unbolted state as in Bristol. A statue the former king of the Belgians Léopold II, controversial figure of the colonial past of the country, was removed Tuesday from a square in the municipality of Antwerp to be stored in the reserves of a museum.

Over the weekend, several thousand people rallied across the country to say no to racism, participating in tributes worldwide to George Floyd. And during these rallies, several sculptures of Leopold II were damaged.

Leopold II voorgoed van zijn sokkel #atvnieuws #LeopoldII #Ekeren https://t.co/0WWrlkuEYT pic.twitter.com/Qrdnj0tyVT

- atv.be (@atvbe) June 9, 2020

The latter, located next to a church in Ekeren, had not escaped acts of vandalism.

A national movement

It should have been moved within two years as part of the work on the square, its withdrawal was therefore anticipated. And it should not reappear, "because of this renovation of the square where it was placed, the statue will no longer be put back on site and will probably continue to be part of the museum's collection," said Johan Vermant, a spokesperson. of the bourgmestre.

#Belgium: A bust of the ex-king of the Belgians Léopold II was vandalized in Tervuren, near Brussels, at the time when 1 group called "Let's Repair History" demands the withdrawal of all its statues, accusing the former sovereign to have exterminated millions of # Congolese. # AFP #colonization pic.twitter.com/8hHdwvCYfV

- Jean-Pierre Bodjoko (@JPBodjoko) June 5, 2020

In Belgium, a group called "Let's Repair History" demands the removal from the streets of Brussels of all the statues of Leopold II, accusing the former sovereign of having "exterminated" millions of Congolese. This descendant of the German Saxe-Coburg dynasty, king 1865 to 1909, was remembered for having colonized the Congo, long his private property where the exploitation of rubber took place by forced labor.

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