Cecil John Rhodes Statue at the University of Cape Town in Cape Town

In 2015 the #Rhodesmustfall protests erupted at the University of Cape Town in South Africa. The resulting debate and movement soon spread globally, with similar protests occurring at the University of Oxford. This case study shows how protests over symbolic historical representations can draw wider attention to issues of structural inequality and the necessity for decolonizing public spaces. It also illustrates how compliance with heritage laws need to be taken into consideration and can require multi-stakeholder discussions in order to effect change.