The removal of historical statues is not only an American debate but also a global one. The cases presented in this section are representative of these countries' own history, their complications, and the ways in which they are trying to rectify them. This section is by no means intended to be comprehensive of the entire scope of monuments being challenged across the world but rather an insight into just a few perspectives outside of the American context.
(Image Description: Defacement of statue of Leopold II, Belgium.)
Getty Images
Once Soviet-controlled countries including Poland, Ukraine, Estonia and Latvia are engaged in a movement to remove Soviet Monuments. While some recent cases have been precipitated due to the Russian attack on Ukraine, such as the case of the dismantling of the Arch of Freedom of the Ukrainian People, others have been based on years-long tensions with the history of communism and the Soviet Party. For many of those once in Soviet-controlled countries, the monuments represent a dark time and years of oppression.
An organization focused on documenting crimes committed against the Polish Nation, from the October Revolution, throughout the Second World War and the communist period, to the dissolution of the Soviet Union.
In the United Kingdom, actions have been taken to remove monuments that represent the problematic figures in its history, particularly those involved with colonialism and the slave trade. On June 7, 2020, a statue of Edward Colson was graffitied and pushed into the Bristol Habour, in Bristol, England. Colton was a notorious slave trader and was a senior executive of the Royal African Company, considered the largest in England, from 1689-1690. The monument's toppling was only part of a larger conversation on the city confronting its history of racism. The statue was later removed from the water and was on display at the Bristol Museum from June 2021 to January 2022, where it is now held in collections.
Belgium has been removing statues representing its involvement in colonialism and the slave trade. Statues of the Belgian King, Leopold II, have been under particular scrutiny. The regent is known for his brutal legacy in the Congo which led to the brutalization of Congolese people who were forced to endure grueling forced labor for the production of rubber and ivory. Leopold's private military force known as the Force Publique were agents of mutilations, murders, and extreme forms of torture during this time. While the exact number is not known, it is estimated that at least 10 million people died during the Congo Free State from 1885 to 1908. In 2020, a group known as Let's Repair History (Reparons l'Histoire) started a change.org petition to remove all statues of the late king in the city of Brussels, which ran from June 1 to June 30, ending on the 60th anniversary of Congo's independence. In total, the campaign received 84,414 signatures.
In South Africa, citizens have been critical of apartheid-era statues which represent a painful and divisive period of the country's history. In particular, statues depicting the former prime minister of the Cape Colony, Cecil John Rhodes, have been under contention. Rhodes was a prominent proponent of British colonialism in Africa and was a staunch supporter of racial segregation, believing the white race to be superior. In March 9 2015, a campaign known as The Rhodes Must Fall Campaign was launched by university students attending the University of Cape Town, calling for the removal of a statue dedicated to Rhodes, citing its symbolism in racism and apartheid. The university agreed to remove the statue by a council vote on April 9, 2015, and would be removed the following day.
