Since US American George Floyd died by the hands of a police officer on 25 May, protest movements against racial injustice have been organised in multiple countries around the world.
However, racism and police brutality aimed at minorities are not only problems in the United States, they are also present in Europe, as the following witnesses report. They tell stories of verbal and physical violence that they have endured from the part of authorities.
Colonial Past
A statue of former king of Belgium Léopold II was vandalised in Tervuren near Brussels. The movement “Réparons l’Histoire” (“Let’s repair history”) is now demanding that all representations of the king should be removed across the country, since he was responsible for the death of millions of Congolese people. We are currently approaching the 60th anniversary of the independence of Congo, which was declared 30 June 1960. Paired with the rising tensions after the preventable death of George Floyd, the issue becomes more relevant than ever.
The statue in question, which is located in the park of the royal museum of Central Africa, has been tainted with red paint. The letters FDP were sprayed on the foundation, alluding to the French equivalent of “son of a bitch”, according to journalists from AFP.
Further cases of vandalism of Léopold II statues were reported across Belgium, most notably in Ostende and in Anvers.
Kalvin Soiresse, founder of the Colonial Memory Collective, notes: “People still have trouble differentiating between colonial memories and racism. The problem with the latter is that is structural, and we are still not addressing the right problem, and we will not find a solution until we learn how to deal with the colonial past.”
Intelligent Removal
The situation leaves no choice when it comes to the question of removing all statues of the former king, the country’s prime symbol of colonial injustice, Zamora Mopafiba estimates:
“We cannot remove them all at the same time, that would be the equivalent of erasing a part of history altogether. We rather seek to educate the people of Belgium who still glorify Léopold II without any consideration.”
Belgian vice pm David Clarinval agrees with the idea of education people, but rejects the removal of statues.
Léopold II: One of Belgium’s Most Controversial Historical Figures
The king, who reigned from 1865 to 1909, instigated one of history’s most brutal colonial regimes, all in the name of civilisation.
In a petition that had accumulated close to 50,000 signatures by Friday, “Réparons l’Histoire” demands the removal of all representations in the city of Brussels. The municipal council has promised to address the issue on Monday.
Another group, affiliated to the Black Lives Matter movement, has organised a protest against racism on Sunday, calling it an echo of the global mobilisation in the honour of George Floyd.
