Who is ‘De Stoete Ostendenoare’? Action group has been daubing statues of Leopold II for 20 years
Just yesterday they had daubed the statue with red paint. The action group ‘De Stoete Ostendenoare’ destroys statues related to the regime of Leopold II in Congo. Piet Wittewrongel calls himself the spiritual father: “I gave them the idea, but I never took part in the actions. They are all peers, old anarchists who still try to make their lives meaningful and react in their own way against injustice, in their own city, of course.”
“No answer at the city”
Their demand that Ostend place the actions of Leopold II in the correct historical context remains unanswered, they say. The mayor knows their demands, but does not want to participate in an iconoclasm. “We are going to do the necessary to outline things correctly in education and training and in the discussions around the figure of Leopold II. What they are asking is to destroy and change street names… we will never give in to that with the city council. “says Mayor Bart Tommelein.
The first campaigns of De Stoete Ostendenoare are from 20 years ago. For example, a bronze hand of a Congolese slave was sawn off. But dozens of other actions followed. “Everyone knows that Leopold II robbed Congo. That he used slaves, that he chopped off his hands, or that he had it done,” says Wittewrongel.
According to the action group, it never came to a dialogue with the city. Now they threaten to tear down the statue of Leopold II. At Wittewrongel itself, there have been several house searches. The court is now investigating again. But De Stoete Ostendoare will continue with actions, they say.