It comes as Leeds City Council promised a city-wide review into statues in Leeds (photos: Jonathan Gawthorpe).
1. Queen Victoria statue
Leeds City Council said it had an obligation to remove graffiti from the statue.
3. Queen Victoria statue
"Murderer" and the "BLM" acronym were among the words daubed on the statue.
4. Queen Victoria statue
Coun Blake added: "But we recognise feelings are running high. That's why we want to reach out and set up a proper dialogue (with the public), so we can move forward in a peaceful and constructive way, that takes all views into account."
5. Queen Victoria statue
A review of Leeds' statues will be led by former Armley councillor Alison Lowe, who was the first black woman to be elected to the authority in 1990.
6. Queen Victoria statue
Various words were sprayed on the statue, including 'Black Lives Matter'.
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