The historical perspective is quite an interesting consideration.
Here in Spain, many local powers have already taken down or otherwise disappeared statues and sructures that were originally put up in Franco's honour. I think that terrible, not on a political basis, which isn't really any of my business, but on a historical one: why destroy things that are your visual and historical heritage? To me, that's political vandalism and nothing more. You might as well rip down the Taj Mahal or flatten the Pyramids; officially losing the magic of the name Bombay has also seemed, to me, to be lunacy of a high order. Mumbai? Really? At least in another place they still use Baghdad, with or without its original Thief!
The French do it much better: think Oradour-sur-Glane.
Denial of history is a form of denial of self; a kind of defensive lying.
Rob C