Sir, – In Bristol and across Europe, monuments to former slave owners and brutal colonisers have become the focus of debate, some of which have been removed by protesters, others by civil authorities.
It seems unconscionable that statues of King Leopold II remain in honoured locations in Belgian cities, not least the city of Brussels, the de facto capital of the European Union, given the depth of his inhumanity in the Congo.
Surely it is time for Irish MEPs to raise their voices in solidarity with African and Belgian voices to have these statues removed from the European capital.
Honouring the memory of Leopold II is an insult to Africa and its diaspora.
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And, shamefully, it is a statement of tolerance towards racists and racism.
The European Union, encouraged by Irish MEPs, should insist on Belgian authorities removing all expressions that honour the memory of this barbaric and genocidal monarch. – Yours, etc,
DON MULLAN,
Perrystown,
Dublin 12.