A group of activists is holding a four-day protest against colonialism in South Africa, during which its participants will pour paint on colonial-era monuments and cover them with white sheets, local TV station eNCA reported.
The first target of the demonstration was an equestrian statue of the famous politician and industrialist Cecil Rhodes, the founder of the colony of Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe and Zambia), installed in the town of Kimberley.
Rhodes' head was covered with a white cloth, and the horse was stained with red paint. Locals called the police to report the vandalism.
"It wasn't vandalism but rather an artistic exploration of historical symbols," said Tshepo Tlalogang, one of the organizers of the protest. "The ‘paint’ is actually clay that can be wiped off. We achieved what we set out to do – not to provoke – but to get everyone to sit up and notice and to get people talking. No one has approached the city’s history from this perspective."
Tlalogang added that the red paint on the monument symbolizes the bloody effects of colonialism on the indigenous peoples of Africa.
He also noted that the activists are not calling for the demolition of colonial and apartheid-era monuments, but intend to use them to protest. He said the organizers have a list of monuments that will be targeted for protest in the coming days.