Washington, June 11 (RHC)-- Protests against racism and police brutality continue to rock cities and towns across the U.S. and around the world. 

In Richmond, Virginia, protesters toppled a statue of Christopher Columbus on Tuesday evening; they set it on fire before throwing it in a nearby lake. In Antwerp, Belgium, city officials removed a statue of King Leopold II on Tuesday, just days after protesters set it on fire.  From 1885 to 1908, Leopold declared himself absolute ruler of Congo, leading a campaign of torture and genocide that killed an estimated 10 million people. 

In England, authorities have removed a statue of 18th century Scottish lord Robert Milligan from outside the Museum of London Docklands, after protesters covered it in a tarp and a Black Lives Matter sign.  Milligan enslaved over 500 people on his family’s sugar plantations in Jamaica.  The statue’s removal was welcomed by city councilor Amina Ali.  She said: “It’s a victory.  And, you know, for the ancestors and the people whose lives have been affected by slavery, this is a victory today.  So, it’s very symbolic.  And I’m glad it’s happened in my lifetime.”