The statue of a famous Italian journalist who defended colonialism, Indro Montanelli, has been daubed with red paint and defaced with the words "racist, rapist" in Milan.

Anti-racism protesters claimed the attack and posted a video on Instagram.

They said the statue must be removed from the Milan park named after him.

Montanelli, who died in 2001, admitted having bought and married an Eritrean girl, 12, during army service in the 1930s.

Dismissing the experiences of women and minorities is quite literally the oldest trick in the patriarchal book. By turning the debate into one about public decorum and respect for a statue, Italy's male-dominated ruling class is avoiding the real issue: how the victims of Italy's deep-rooted racism and misogyny are systemically silenced through ridicule, shame or outright violence.

Montanelli's story sits at the intersection of politics, class, gender and race -- and it has never been more relevant than it is today, as activists across the world force uncomfortable conversations around discrimination and historical legacies of racism.