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2020, The statue of Victor Schœlcher is destroyed in Schœlcher

Event

has description | a une description
On May 22, 2020, the day commemorating the abolition of slavery in Martinique, the two statues of Victor Schœlcher located in Fort-de-France and Schœlcher were destroyed by activists who knocked them off their plinths. The destruction was filmed and the videos posted on social networks. The activists also publish a press release, entitled “May 22, reparation through reappropriation”, recalling that the decree abolishing slavery was signed on May 22 following the slave revolts and asserting “No, Schœlcher is not our savior”. The communiqué calls for recognition of the memory of the ancestors of the Martiniquais, and proposes the replacement of street names and public institutions.
has type | est de type
contestation
carried out by | réalisée par
Two activists claim responsibility for their action against symbols that insult young Martiniquais, and point out that they are not the first to carry out a physical attack, and that steps have been taken to request the removal of the statues by the mayors of the communes where they are installed.
took place at | a eu lieu dans
Schœlcher
Schœlcher
took place on or within | a eu lieu le ou dans l'intervalle de temps
22 May 2020
was motivated by | le déplacement a été motivé par
Rouge Vert Noir
The gesture claimed by the two activists is part of a multi-layered context: firstly, that of the rejection of Schoelcherism and the desire to celebrate the role of resistant slaves; secondly, that of the rejection of colonial legacies in Martinique; thirdly, that of the health crisis about chlordecone; and finally, as Audrey Célestine writes, the context of “the failure to transmit recent struggles, profound socio-economic difficulties and the inability to formulate a political project.”
resulted in | a eu pour résultat
Municipalities issued press releases condemning the destruction. Reactions from politicians and institutions involved in the remembrance of slavery were numerous. French President Emmanuel Macron tweeted on May 23, 2020: “By abolishing slavery 172 years ago, Victor Schœlcher made France great. I firmly condemn the acts perpetrated yesterday in Martinique, which tarnish his memory and that of the Republic.”
In May 2022, five members of the Rouge Vert Noir movement were charged with destroying the statues.
is referred to by | est référencé par
France-Antilles
Martinique la 1e
Outre-mer la 1e avec AFP
Célestine, Audrey. « Sous les statues, la crise. Les destructions de 2020 en Martinique ». Esprit, no 5 (2022): 75 83. https://doi.org/10.3917/espri.2205.0075
France-Antilles
Martinique la 1e
Outre-mer la 1e avec AFP
Célestine, Audrey. « Sous les statues, la crise. Les destructions de 2020 en Martinique ». Esprit, no 5 (2022): 75 83. https://doi.org/10.3917/espri.2205.0075
Compte twitter d'Emmanuel Macron, Président de la République française
France-Antilles sur Dailymotion

Linked resources

Items with "was motivated by | le déplacement a été motivé par: 2020, La statue de Victor Schœlcher est détruite à Schœlcher"
2020, Creation of memorial commissions in Martinique towns
Items with "was discussed by | a été contesté par: 2020, La statue de Victor Schœlcher est détruite à Schœlcher"
Monument Victor Schœlcher, Schœlcher