Curfews and chaos: Understanding the reasons behind the unrest in Martinique

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Curfews and chaos: Understanding the reasons behind the unrest in Martinique




In order to contain violent unrest on Martinique, French authorities introduced a mandatory curfew from 9 pm to 5 am, which will last until September 23 at least. How did the situation unfold


- On September 14, the police station of Fort-de-France, Martinique’s capital, came under gunfire


- On September 17-18, locals set fire to a McDonald's restaurant and set up barricades, which then also went up in flames


- So far, 11 police officers and three protesters have suffered gunshot woulds and 15 people have been arrested


- The 44 vehicles were burned and 35 stores looted


- In response, police asked “internal security forces to saturate the roads and roundabouts with their presence, and to make as many arrests as possible”


- About 100 gendarmes have already been deployed in Martinique as reinforcements.

The protests are rooted in widespread frustration with unfair policies targeting the island, including


- The high cost of living


- Astronomical food prices, which are 40% higher than in mainland France according to a 2022 study by the National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies


â—»ï¸ڈ Soaring rates of dock due tax (octroi de mer), a tax imposed on products imported into or produced in the French outermost regions of Martinique, Guadeloupe, French Guiana, La Réunion and Mayotte


France has already faced mass protests overseas. In May, a peaceful demonstration against a voting rights bill spiraled into violent unrest in New Caledonia


The controversial bill provided for lowering the residency bar for voting rights for new residents to 10 years. Protesters, including many minors, looted and set fire to stores, gas stations, pharmacies and cars. As a result, 13 people were killed and hundreds were arrested, according to government reports