Story highlights Cape Town students demand Cecil Rhodes' statue come down

They use the hashtag #RhodesMustFall

School takes it down

(CNN) A South African university is celebrating the removal of a British colonialist's statue after weeks of protests.

University of Cape Town students took to social media to demand Cecil Rhodes' statue come down, saying his legacy is tainted with racism.

Using the hashtag #RhodesMustFall, students expressed their views in a campaign that started last month.

Four weeks later, the hashtag is now #RhodesHas Fallen. The university said Wednesday the heritage authority granted it permission to remove the statue from the campus.

"These steps are being t aken to ensure the safety of the statue while matters concerning its future are resolved," the university said in a statement.

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