French parliament statue of ‘Black Code’ author defaced in anti-racism protest

A statue in front of the French parliament building honouring Jean-Baptiste Colbert was covered in graffiti on Tuesday amid a global push by anti-racism activists to take down monuments to historical figures tied to slavery or colonialism. A prominent figure under "Sun King" Louis XIV, Colbert was a 17th-century royal minister who wrote rules governing slaves in France’s overseas colonies. His statue stands in front of the National Assembly, a prominent landmark overlooking the Seine River in Paris. Paris police said one person was detained after “state negrophobia” was scrawled in red paint on the statue’s pedestal and pink paint was splattered on Colbert’s likeness. A group called the...