Should the statue of Jean-Baptiste Colbert be unbolted before the Assembly? The question has been debated for several days as statues of controversial historical figures are removed by demonstrators in the United States or the United Kingdom, in particular those of Christopher Columbus. In France, that of the Minister of Louis XIV and father of the Code Noir, on the forecourt of the National Assembly is under fire from critics, like other historical figures. Controversies that have existed for a long time in the Antilles and in particular in Martinique where several statues have been brought down.
"The shape is a bit rough, but the substance is true"
In Fort-de-France, it has been almost 30 years since the statue of Joséphine De Beauharnais was beheaded. The head of the statue of this Martinican woman, who is accused of having pushed Napoleon to re-establish slavery, was cut by an anonymous collective in 1991. Even headless, it still stirs curiosity and debate among passers-by. For Aline, "the form is a bit brutal, but the substance is true. Why should we always put forward the oppressor and never put our heroes in statues?".
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Activists also knocked down two statues of Victor Schoelcher, the man who passed the law to end slavery, last month. They accuse him in particular of having compensated the settlers after the postage, and demand that statues of black heroes be erected instead.
"Colbert must be moved or explained"
But the criticism therefore also relates to statues present in metropolitan France, starting with that of Colbert before the Assembly. "In 2006, I was part of the Devoirs de Mémoires collective. We covered all the statues of former slave owners who are represented before the National Assembly with black sheets," recalls Sandra. Two years ago, Victorin Lurel, former Minister of Overseas and now Senator of Guadeloupe, had asked the Senate that the statue of Colbert in front of the Bourbon palace be removed. "We do not get along. And it is not for lack of fights, struggles, letters, petitions. This is not a subject for the elected officials. Colbert must be moved or explained."
It is rather this second option that seemed to be favored by Frédéric Potier, interministerial delegate for the fight against racism, anti-Semitism and anti-LGBT hatred (Dilcrah), guest of Europe 1 on Saturday. "The history of France is a block with its parts of light and shade. I think that these parts of shadows, these difficult periods, you have to know them, learn them, make them educational. I think that we would rather leave a plaque with a street name, a statue, but explain why it is there. "