Dutch Anti-Racism Activists Deface Statues, Art Center In Rotterdam - Reports

A group of activists has vandalized two statues and an art center in the Dutch city of Rotterdam calling for an end to glorification of Dutch colonialism, NL Times reported on Friday

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 12th June, 2020) A group of activists has vandalized two statues and an art center in the Dutch city of Rotterdam calling for an end to glorification of Dutch colonialism, NL Times reported on Friday.

The group calls itself "Heroes of Never" and sprayed graffiti on a statue of a Dutch colonial admiral and an assassinated 20th century far-right politician as well as an art center named after a Dutch naval officer, NL Times reported.

"We demand rejection of these unjust 'heroes' and we criticize the collective memory of Dutch history, because murderers, exploiters and fascist politicians are not worthy of a monument!" the group wrote on its newly started Instagram account, as quoted by the outlet.

The wave of defacing statues of controversial historical figures began in the UK town of Bristol where protesters took down a bronze statue of a former slave trader and dumped it into a river. Statues to confederate generals in the US, slave traders and even revered UK leader Winston Churchill have been destroyed, damaged or vandalized.

The killing of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police in late May sparked a wave of protests against police brutality and institutionalized racism which spread to all 50 states and numerous countries worldwide.