Elite, French anti-riot police, a unit called the Companies for Republican Security, have been sent by France to the Caribbean island of Martinique to quell protests despite a government ban on demonstrations there, the AP reports.
The demonstrations have been violent and erupted over the high cost of living on the island. Six officers were injured as well as one civilian among the tear gas-soaked riots.
A local French rep, who oversees the French jurisdiction, said that protests were forbidden in Fort-de-France, Le Lamentin, Ducos and Le Robert and that a curfew had been put into place in those municipalities. Looting by residents also occurred amid the protests.
The ban on protests was intended "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," government officials said, per the AP. Islanders, however, were made unhappy by the bans.
Saturday night saw intense protests, though the AP describes them as "peaceful." Many marched along highways playing drums and waving flags. Riot police were quartered at a local hotel in Fort-de-France. The troops were requested by the authorities in Martinique.
This angered some on the island, including Beatrice Bellay, who is a spokesperson for the socialist party in Martinique. "Martinique is not in a civil war," she said, before adding a call for an "open and transparent dialogue" between government and protesters.
In a statement, she said, "This measure ... only serves to aggravate tensions and distract attention from the legitimate demands of the people of Martinique."
The demonstrations have been violent and erupted over the high cost of living on the island. Six officers were injured as well as one civilian among the tear gas-soaked riots.
A local French rep, who oversees the French jurisdiction, said that protests were forbidden in Fort-de-France, Le Lamentin, Ducos and Le Robert and that a curfew had been put into place in those municipalities. Looting by residents also occurred amid the protests.
The ban on protests was intended "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," government officials said, per the AP. Islanders, however, were made unhappy by the bans.
Saturday night saw intense protests, though the AP describes them as "peaceful." Many marched along highways playing drums and waving flags. Riot police were quartered at a local hotel in Fort-de-France. The troops were requested by the authorities in Martinique.
This angered some on the island, including Beatrice Bellay, who is a spokesperson for the socialist party in Martinique. "Martinique is not in a civil war," she said, before adding a call for an "open and transparent dialogue" between government and protesters.
In a statement, she said, "This measure ... only serves to aggravate tensions and distract attention from the legitimate demands of the people of Martinique."
