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Martinique’s authorities ban demonstrations after violent protests
September 21, 2024 -
PARIS (Reuters) – Authorities in Martinique are banning demonstrations in four municipalities after violent protests over rising living costs led to the imposition of a curfew earlier this week, according to a statement issued on Saturday.
Martinique’s prefect, the local representative of France’s central government in the overseas territory, said in the statement that all protests were forbidden until Monday in the municipalities of Fort-de-France, Le Lamentin, Ducos and Le Robert.
“The aim of this measure is to put an end to the violence and damage committed at gatherings, as well as the many obstacles to daily life and freedom of movement that affect the entire population, particularly at weekends,” the prefect said.
The prefect had earlier imposed a nighttime curfew to limit movement in certain districts of Fort-de-France and Lamentin, also expiring on Monday.
Protests are also taking place on the neighbouring island of Guadeloupe, where a strike by workers at French energy utility EDF caused power outages for the population during the week, according to previous statements by the local prefect.
The protests in France’s overseas territories, including the killing of two men during an overnight operation by police in New Caledonia, are a test for new Prime Minister Michel Barnier, who is due to present his cabinet to President Emmanuel Macron after two weeks of political bargaining.
By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
Authorities in France's Martinique have banned protests in the port city of Fort-de-France and three other communes until Monday amid unrest, triggered by the rising cost of living.
"The prefect of Martinique today issued an order prohibiting protests and gatherings on public roads and private roads open to public traffic in the municipalities of Fort-de-France, Le Lamentin, Ducos and Le Robert," the issued decree stated Friday.
A nighttime curfew was imposed in part of Fort-de-France starting Thursday after days of demonstrations against the surging food prices. The port is the entry point for the majority of imports to the French territory.
Violent protests erupt in Martinique amid rising living costs
Reports indicate that at least 14 people, including 11 police officers, have been injured since the beginning of September, some from gunfire, as alarming scenes of burning vehicles and destroyed buildings, with heavily armed riot police moving in, went viral on social media.
The office of the France-appointed prefect, Jean-Christophe Bouvier, announced that the 9 pm to 5 am curfew, lasting until September 23, aims to safeguard the public and businesses and restore order.
Protesters assert they have been compelled to demonstrate due to a lack of response from authorities and businesses regarding their petitions for reduced living costs. French national statistics reveal significant disparities in living expenses, with residents of Martinique facing food prices estimated to be 30% to 42% higher than those in mainland France.
By The Associated Press
MEXICO CITY — France has sent a group of special anti-riot police that's been banned for 65 years to the French Caribbean island of Martinique, where protesters have gathered despite the government barring demonstrations in parts of the island.
The force arrived this weekend after the local representative of France’s central government in its overseas territory said in a statement that protests were forbidden in the municipalities of Fort-de-France, Le Lamentin, Ducos and Le Robert until Monday. The government also issued a curfew.
The restrictions came after violent protests broke out on the island last week over the high cost of living, with gunfire injuring at least six police officers and one civilian. Police launched tear gas and government officials said several stores were also looted.
Officials said the bans were meant "to put an end to the violence and damage committed at gatherings, as well as to the numerous obstacles to daily life and freedom of movement that penalize the entire population, particularly at weekends.”
But the measure was met by defiance by many on the island, with massive peaceful protests breaking out Saturday night. Videos from local media show crowds of thousands peacefully walking along highways overnight banging on drums and waiving flags.
As protests wound on without violence, the force of French anti-riot police arrived on the island, and were staying at a hotel in Fort-de-France on Sunday. It wasn't immediately clear how many were sent.
The elite riot police, known as the Companies for Republican Security, were banned in the French territory following bloody riots in December 1959. The unit had been accused of using disproportionate force against protesters, ending in the deaths of a number of young demonstrators. The force is rarely deployed in French territories in the Caribbean, but was called on during riots and strikes in Guadeloupe in 2009.
Martinique's leaders requested the forces amid the recent protests in an historic shift for the island, and one met with a sharp rejection by some in the territory.
Béatrice Bellay, a representative of the socialist party on the island, blasted the move, saying: “Martinique is not in a civil war, it is a social war." She called for an “open and transparent dialogue” between protesters and the government.
“This measure ... only serves to aggravate tensions and distract attention from the legitimate demands of the people of Martinique,” she wrote in a statement Sunday.
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