Too much damage and risk of destruction, Louisville (USA) removes statue of Louis XVI

Too much damage was done by protesters who hit it and covered it with graffiti praising Black Lives Matter, and too high a risk that the statue would be destroyed: thus, city authorities in Kentucky’s (U.S.) main city, Louisville, decided to remove the statue of King Louis XVI of France, which with more than 500,000 inhabitants is the largest in the Bluegrass State (in fact, the city was founded in 1778 by U.S. General George Rogers Clark, who wanted to pay homage to the French ruler, since his soldiers had helped the Americans during the Revolutionary War of 1775-1783).

The statue was placed in a storage facility in order to ensure its safety. A statement from Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer said the work “has recently sustained significant damage, including vandalism with spray paint, surface abrasions resulting from cleaning operations, and breakage of the figure’s arms and feet. Due to the material and condition of the statue, it cannot be cleaned and restored on site.” The statue’s hand had been removed during protests in May, while in June three people, caught in the act of covering the statue with spray paint, were arrested. Louisville was the scene of strong protests following the March killing of an African American woman, Breonna Taylor, during a police search.

The monument to Louis XVI, which dates from the early 1800s, was donated to Louisville in 1966 by the twin city of Montpellier, France, where it stood until 1829, when it was removed from the public square for stowage in a warehouse until 1899, when it was instead displayed in a city museum. Sixty-seven years later the decision was made to donate the work to Louisville. There is no direct connection between the figure of Louis XVI and Black Lives Matter: the protesters simply targeted it as a symbol of power. Louis XVI was the last king of France: as we know, the monarchy was overthrown by revolutionaries, and Louis XVI was guillotined in 1793. His image therefore has a strong symbolic value for those protesting these days.

Pictured is the damaged statue

Too much damage and risk of destruction, Louisville (USA) removes statue of Louis XVI

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