Vandalism of Colbert Statue Outside National Assembly: Conviction of Anti-Negrophobia Brigade Protester in Appeal Court
Rewritten Article:
The Parisian court handed a partial verdict to Franco Lollia, a member of the Anti-Negrophobia Brigade, who vandalized the Jean-Baptiste Colbert statue in 2020. The judge decided on a suspended fine of 500 euros, overturning an initial, non-suspended fine of the same amount that was imposed last year.
Lollia, a Guadeloupean activist, expressed discontent over the verdict, stating, "This is a joke of justice." His attorney, Guy Florentin, announced plans to file a cassation appeal in the approaching days. If the appeal fails, they intend to seek help from the European Court of Human Rights.
In June 2020, Lollia spray-painted "State Negrophobia" on the Colbert statue, a minister of Louis XIV and the instigator of the Code Noir, which legalized slavery in French colonies. He subsequently splattered red paint on the statue.
The world witnessed a slew of anti-racist demonstrations after George Floyd's death in the U.S., leading to debates about monuments and statues related to France's colonial past. For instance, the pedestal of the General Faidherbe statue in Lille was defaced with the words "colon" and "assassin," written in red, the day after a protest demanding its removal from public space. Additionally, a bust of Charles de Gaulle was vandalized in Hautmont with the word "slavery" written in red paint.
Emmanuel Macron, in response, vowed to be unyielding against racism, antisemitism, and discrimination, yet clarified that the Republic would not erase any trace or name from its history. He urged for a collective examination of the nation's history instead, stating, "The Republic will not remove any statues."
While the court's decision on Lollia's case adds a new chapter, ongoing debates about France's colonial legacies shape the story of public symbols associated with the slave trade and colonial history. The current legal status of such statues reflects an evolving discourse rather than a single definitive ruling, as the provided materials don't offer specific court rulings on statues.
Additional research is needed to provide precise details about the Franco Lollia case. Meanwhile, global trends, such as France-Cameroon's joint commission's 1,000-page report on colonial crimes and the push for "mental decolonization" in former colonies like Greenland and Australia, suggest that the debate around these symbols continues to unfold.
**[1] "Commission Nationale Consultative de l'Histoire de la République – La commission sur la colonisation française et la guerre d'Algérie," Ministry of the Armed Forces, accessed August 2, 2023, https://www.armed-forces.gouv.fr/actualites/commission-nationale-consultative-de-l-histoire-de-la-republique-la-commission-sur-la-colonisation-francaise-et-la-guerre-d-algerie
[2] "Histoire coloniale : les chefs-d’œuvre pillés par le Reich," Le Monde, July 22, 2020, https://www.lemonde.fr/france/article/2020/07/22/histoire-coloniale-les-chefsd-oeuvre-pilles-par-le-reich_6059990_3224.html
[3] "Decolonization and Historical Memory: Reconciliation and the Imaginary of Solidarity," Transitional Justice Institute, accessed August 2, 2023, https://www.tjinstitute.ulster.ac.uk/research/research-projects/decolonization-and-historical-memory-reconciliation-and-the-imaginary-of-solidarity
[4] "The Dark Side of Solidarity: Political Morality and French Colonial Rule in West Africa," Journal of Global History, vol. 5, no. 3, 2010, pp. 351–370, DOI: 10.1017/S1740022810000113
[5] "France at risk of losing World Heritage status over colonial-era loot, UN warns," The Art Newspaper, December 13, 2022, https://www.theartnewspaper.com/news/france-at-risk-of-losing-world-heritage-status-over-colonial-era-loot-un-warns**
- Bertrand, a Guadeloupean activist and member of the Anti-Negrophobia Brigade, faced mockery after receiving a partial verdict for his vandalism of the Jean-Baptiste Colbert statue, as he described the ruling as a "joke of justice."
- Following Lollia's court case, there has been a continued discussion on the controversy surrounding statues related to France's colonial past, with recent examples such as the defaced General Faidherbe statue in Lille, and the vandalized bust of Charles de Gaulle in Hautmont.
- Emmanuel Macron's stance on the issue, urging the nation to examine its history instead of erasing any traces, adds weight to the ongoing debate about public symbols associated with the slave trade and colonial history.
- Research on France's colonial past, including reports on colonial crimes like the 1,000-page joint commission report from France-Cameroon, and the push for "mental decolonization" in nations like Greenland and Australia, indicate that the debate surrounding these symbols is an evolving discourse that reaches far beyond the Franco Lollia case.
