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Belgian police guard the statue of King Leopold II in central Brussels, Tuesday 30 June (Photo: Eszter Zalan)

On toppling statues

More statues have toppled across the globe in the last few weeks than at any time since the collapse of eastern European communism in 1989.

In Bristol, 17th-century slave dealer Edward Colston was torn from his pedestal and ended up on the bottom of the harbour.

In Antwerp, Belgium's King Leopold II, who earned huge profits from the forced-labour regime he imposed on the Congo, was painted red and set on fire before being carted away, and other statues of him across the country ...

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Disclaimer

The views expressed in this opinion piece are the author’s, not those of EUobserver

Author Bio

Adam Hochschild is the author of ten books, including King Leopold’s Ghost, about the Belgian colonisation of the Congo, and Bury the Chains, about the British anti-slavery movement.

Belgian police guard the statue of King Leopold II in central Brussels, Tuesday 30 June (Photo: Eszter Zalan)

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Author Bio

Adam Hochschild is the author of ten books, including King Leopold’s Ghost, about the Belgian colonisation of the Congo, and Bury the Chains, about the British anti-slavery movement.

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