France overturns law classing people as property
National assembly votes to repeal Code Noir under which enslaved people were beaten, raped and killed
TL;DR
- France's national assembly unanimously voted to repeal the Code Noir, a 17th-century law on the treatment of enslaved people in colonies.
- The Code Noir remained in effect for nearly 180 years after France abolished slavery in 1848.
- President Macron called the continued existence of the code an "offence" and indicated support for exploring reparations.
- The law codified brutal treatment, classifying enslaved people as "movable property" and prescribing mutilation for fugitives.
- The repeal is a significant step in acknowledging France's history with slavery and its impact on overseas territories.
- French overseas departments like Guadeloupe and Martinique still face economic disparities and issues stemming from this colonial past.