A statue of Leopold II in Antwerp has been removed by authorities after being targeted by anti-racism protesters last week. A number of statues of the former ruler, whose personal administration of the Congo Free State led to the deaths of millions of its inhabitants, have been the focus of protests in cities throughout Belgium. The statue in Antwerp, which was set on fire and splashed with red paint, is now at the Middelheim Museum where it is expected to undergo restoration, although there are no plans for it to be returned to its public pedestal in the district of Ekeren. A petition launched on 1 June calling for all statues of Leopold II in Brussels to be dismantled has received more than 60,000 signatures.