Newsletter 05/25 - Colonialists begin to fade

The fall of colonial symbols gone viral with the explosion of anti-racism protests following the death of George Floyd continues, albeit at a slower pace.

In Germany it continues with the dedication of a square to Rudolf Duala Manga Bell in Aalen.

In the United States it continues with the change of name to Mount Blue Sky of the now former Mount Evans in Colorado and the change of the seal and flag of Minnesota.

In Burkina Faso it begins on October 15, 2023 with the change of name to Boulevard Thomas Sankara of the now former Avenue Charles de Gaulle in Ouagadougou.

In Australia it begins on January 25, 2024 with the toppling of the monument to James Cook in Melbourne and continues with the toppling of the monument to William Crowther in Hobart and its subsequent removal, the toppling of the monument to George V in Melbourne and the toppling of the monument to John Batman in Melbourne.

In India it begins on September 13, 2024 with the change of name to Sri Vijaya Puram of the now former Port Blair, followed by an interesting intervention by Shashi Tharoor, and continues with the change of name to Vijay Durg of the now former Fort William in Kolkata, with the change of name to Maharishi Dayanand Memorial Vishranti Grah of the now former King Edward Memorial in Ajmer and with the change of name to Varun Sagar Lake of the now former Foy Sagar Lake in Ajmer.

In Niger it begins on October 15, 2024 with the change of name to Avenue Djibo Bakary of the now former Avenue Charles de Gaulle, to Place Boubandey Batama of the now former Rond-Pointpoint Kennedy, to Place de L'AES of the now former Place de la Francophonie and to Place Thomas Sankara of the now former Place Monteil in Niamey and it continues with the change of the national language.

In Mali it begins on December 13, 2024 with the change of name to Avenue de l'AES of the now former Avenue CEDEAO, to Avenue Mahamane Alassane Haidara of the now former Avenue Marius Moutet, to Avenue Capitaine Sékou Traore of the now former Avenue Ruault, to Avenue du Général Moussa Traore of the now former Avenue Joost Van Vollenhoven, to Rue Mamadou Lamine Drame of the now former Rue Faidherbe, to Rue Banzoumana Sissoko of the now former Rue Louis Brière de Isle, to Rue El Hadj Cheick Oumar Tall of the now former Rue Archinard, to Rue Monseigneur Luc Auguste Sangare of the now former Rue Mage and to Place de la Confédération des Etats du Sahel of the now former Place du Sommet Afrique-France in Bamako, renamed on 25 December 2024 by the Prime Minister of Mali Abdoulaye Maiga.

In Trinidad and Tobago it begins on February 25, 2025 with the change of the national coat of arms.

In Uganda it begins on February 25, 2025 with the ruling that forces the administration to change the colonial names of streets and public places in Kampala.

In Senegal it continues with the change of name to Boulevard Mamadou Dia of the now former Boulevard Général de Gaulle in Dakar, following in the footsteps of Guinea and the AES.

In France, it continues with the ruling that forces the administration to change the name of the La Négresse neighborhood in Biarritz.

Colonialism Reparation welcomes the fall of colonial symbols in many cities around the world and invites all the other cities where unfortunately colonial symbols are still present (as in Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Cameroon, France, Greece, Guinea, Italy, Ivory Coast, Libya, Malaysia, Namibia, New Zealand, Portugal, Singapore, Spain, Switzerland, United Kingdom, etc.) to follow their example.