Nine of the eleven defendants who went on trial in early November for the destruction of four statues dating to the colonial era in Martinique in 2020 were acquitted by a Fort-de-France criminal court, and two others were spared punishment.
Eleven anti-colonial activists, five women and six men aged 24 to 54, were charged with “degrading public utility property” following the removal of statues considered symbols of the island’s colonial past and slavery.
The two convicts, a 33-year-old woman and a 41-year-old man, were found guilty of taking part in the demolition of two statues of Victor Schoelcher in Fort-de-France and in the neighboring town of Schoelcher, on May 22, 2020, the “official date” of the anniversary of the abolition of slavery in Martinique.
For activists, this denial aimed to denounce symbols considered misleading in colonial history: Victor Schoelcher, considered an abolitionist, in their eyes was also a representative of the colonial powers, who supported compensation for former slave owners after 1848.
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They were spared punishment “in view of the special circumstances of the offenses committed”, said the head of the court, Cécile Lony.
Activists were also charged with unlocking the statues of Joséphine de Beauharnais, wife of the island’s Napoleon Bonaparte, and Pierre Belain d’Esnambuc, pioneer of French colonization of the Antilles, which were destroyed in Fort-de-France on July 26, 2020.
Regarding the latter, “the alleged actions are part of a political or militant act carried out with the aim of raising awareness on a matter of public interest”, the president said, referring to “the presence, in Martinique’s public spaces, of statues commemorating colonialism and slavery, crimes against humanity”.
The court understood that the destruction of these statues “is not a violation of common law.”
The defendants maintained their innocence, ensuring that they could not be identified in the videos posted on social networks, while reiterating their opposition to the presence of the statues in public spaces.
The court understood that destroying these statues “is not a violation of common law,” said Me Alik Labejof-Lordinot, a lawyer for one of the activists. “This is not about delinquents, but about activists who think,” he added.
“It is a legal reason that will reach the peak of history,” said Me’s colleague Eddy Arneton. The trial was held over three days, from November 5 to 7, and prosecutors did not seek a sentence at the end of the trial.
The revelations have sparked a strong reaction right up to the country’s top brass, with Emmanuel Macron “unequivocally” condemning the act “which tarnishes the memory” of Victor Schoelcher.
