While the environmentalist town hall declared itself in favor of opening the debate on the renaming of rue Bugeaud, the mayor of the 6th arrondissement (where it is located) opposed a possible change of name.
“Erasing his name from our streets will not change history, but it risks causing it to be forgotten”. While the Lyon environmentalist executive spoke out in favor of opening the debate on the renaming of rue Bugeaud, the mayor of 6e district – where it is located – opposed a possible change of name. Opposition elected official, Pascal Blache (Horizons) attacks “the wokist tendency of the Lyon executive”.
“This initiative opens the door to a subjective rewriting of French historyopposes the one who had been a candidate for the legislative elections in 2022 under the LR label. If we give in today, other historical figures could suffer the same fate, threatening the balance between memory and context..
During the municipal council in October, the deputy responsible for memorial issues, Sylvie Tomic (EELV), declared having received several requests for renaming concerning rue Bugeaud, deeming them “legitimate”. The elected official nevertheless called for parsimonious use of this practice.
Avenue Bugeaud renamed in Paris
Thomas Robert Bugeaud is known for having crushed the resistance in Algeria during its colonization by France in the 19th century.e century. After becoming governor general, he is today seen as a symbol of French imperialism. The massacres committed under his leadership, particularly during the burning of the Dhara cave, were criticized at the time of the events.
Nearly two centuries later, Sibeth Ndiaye, then government spokesperson, opened the door in 2020 to the renaming of Avenue Bugeaud in Paris. A proposal materialized last November, at the request of Anne Hidalgo (PS). The old plaques in the name of Marshal Bugeaud will nevertheless be kept at the Carnavalet museum, which traces the history of the capital.
Soon a dedicated commission
In Lyon, the mayor of 1is district, Yasmine Bouagga (EELV), recalled in October the existence of several street names, gardens and statues paying tribute to figures from the colonization of Algeria. She notably proposed the installation of an explanatory plaque under the statue of Sergeant Blandan, located at Place Sathonay. An idea welcomed favorably by Sylvie Tomic. The city must have a dedicated body during the first half of 2025.
Recently, the renaming of the place to Abbé Pierre (originally from Lyon) after the revelations of accusations of sexual violence against the founder of Emmaüs did not create a stir. Pascal Blache denounces this time “a controversy” Who “appears as a sterile and costly diversion”. And to point out the expenses incurred by the necessary modification of street signs and administrative documents.
