The French government has sent a group of special anti-riot police to the French Caribbean island of Martinique, where protesters have gathered despite bans on demonstrations in some areas. The measure, not used in the last 65 years, has prompted an outcry from some politicians.
The special force arrived in Fort-de-France on Sunday.
It comes 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 has also issued a curfew.
Martinique imposes night curfew as rising living costs trigger unrest
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 fired 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 penalise the entire population, particularly at weekends.”
But the measure was met by defiance by many on the island, with large peaceful protests held on Saturday night.
Videos from local media show crowds of thousands peacefully walking along highways overnight banging on drums and waving flags.
Martinique’s leaders requested help from the elite police force amid the recent protests but this has been met with a sharp rejection by some in the territory.
Tragic history
Known as the Companies for Republican Security (CRS), it was 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.
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The force is rarely deployed in French territories in the Caribbean, but was called on during riots and strikes in Guadeloupe in 2009.
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.
(AP)
