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Confronting Colonial Statues | Culture Clash

Statues to slave traders and colonial kings litter european cities. Is it time for them to go?

Europe News

‘I was very moved’: MEP on applause after racism debate speech

MEPs applauded Pierrette Herzberger-Fofana after her address on Wednesday in which she claimed police had humiliated her during an incident in Brussels.

Europe News

Belgium lockdown lifted for sex workers but COVID-19 concerns flourish

"I don't go back to work with a smile on my face but I have no choice," one sex worker told Euronews.

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A statue of former Belgian King Baudouin defaced with red paint

The statue was daubed with red paint to protest the ex-king's role in the colonisation of what is now the Democratic Republic of Congo.

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Belgium

Euroviews. Assita Kanko: Leopold II is part of the uncomfortable truth of who we are. We can’t erase him ǀ View

As calls to remove statues of Belgium's controversial monarch, Leopold II, grow louder, Assita Kanko warns of the dangers of having a curated and sanitised version of history.

World News

Watch: Statues under attack as Europe confronts colonial past

'The ghost of the past, the colonial past, is still haunting these spaces,' said one historian, speaking of the controversial statues under attack in parts of Europe.

Europe News

'Quick decision needed over whether to remove Leopold II statues'

A very rapid decision is needed over whether to remove statues of Belgium's colonial-era king, Leopold II, Brussels' heritage minister has told Euronews.

Europe News

Brussels restaurants and bars count the cost of a long lockdown

After three months of enforced closure, economic losses and social security checks have stacked up for restaurants and bars in Brussels

Belgium

Who was King Leopold II and why do some want his statues removed?

Activists want statues of King Leopold II removed from Belgian cities. Here's why.

Europe News

Belgian petition to remove statues of colonial king gathers pace

The movement is gaining traction as Europe grapples with its own race issues alongside the Black Lives Matter protests in the USA.

Europe News

Pop-up study centre as empty Belgian attraction aids cramming students

A tourist hot spot in Belgium, empty amid the COVID-19 restrictions, has become a pop-up study centre, helping students cramming for exams and with nowhere quiet to revise.

Europe News

COVID-19: Freelance EU interpreters out of work and demanding support

Since the pandemic, freelance interpreters working for the institutions say they have been left 'without work from one day to the next' and are calling on the EU to 'practise what they preach' and offer emergency financial support.

Europe News

Be my guest: Belgian town among first to allow weddings with invitees

Yolanda Nauwelaers and Timothy Dekeyser are thought to be one of the first couples in Europe to wed in the presence of invitees since lockdown was imposed in March.

Europe News

Belgian Jews fear the scaling back of counter-terror patrols

Belgium is considering winding down soldiers' counter-terror patrols. At the height of the terror threat, thousands of soldiers paced the streets. Authorities are weighing up the cost of such security measures against the concerns over future threats.

World News

UK lorry deaths investigation makes 26 arrests in Belgium and France

The suspected smugglers were arrested in simultaneous early morning raids carried out in France and Belgium. They face up to 15 years in jail and a fine of up to €150,000 per victim.

Belgium

Health care workers turn their backs on Belgian prime minister

Belgium's Prime Minister Sophie Wilmes was given a frosty reception by some health care workers as she visited a hospital in the capital Brussels.

Europe News

Belgians allowed to socialise again - but only with same four people

Small social gatherings are allowed again in Belgium after an easing of the country's COVID-19 lockdown rules. But there is a caveat - it has to be with the same four people for the time being.

Europe News

Chefs lay down their whites to kick up a fuss over lockdown impact

They were highlighting the plight of eateries, cafes and other parts of the hospitality industry hit during the COVID-19 lockdown.

Europe News

COVID-19: Belgium's overcrowded prisons a 'powder keg' for infections

"Since 23 April, I wash myself with water. I had to wash my cell by myself with just water. I picked up the dirt of the prisoner before. What more can I say? The situation here is very bad."

Europe News

Belgium to hire 2,000 call centre staff to track COVID-19 cases

The investigators will work the phones and connect the dots of who could be spreading coronavirus.