For the third night in a row, separatist riots broke out in the French overseas territory of New Caledonia. French President Emmanuel Macron called another emergency meeting on Thursday morning. It is said that the island partly resembles a battlefield.
According to official information, four people have been killed in the serious unrest so far, including a police officer. Hundreds more people were injured. Local media published photos and videos on Thursday of looted and completely destroyed supermarkets and gas stations.
The French government decided to deploy soldiers on Wednesday evening to secure bridges and the airport, which is currently closed. On the Pacific archipelago, access to the online service TikTok, which many protesters use, has been temporarily blocked.
State of emergency declared
Since the beginning of the week, independence supporters have repeatedly set fire to shops and cars. In response to the violence on the South Pacific archipelago, Paris declared a state of emergency on Wednesday for an initial period of 12 days. This allows the authorities, among other things, to issue bans on demonstrations, block public places and websites and give the police and judiciary extensive powers.
The protests by independence supporters are over a planned constitutional reform by the government in Paris that would give voting rights to thousands of French-born citizens who have lived continuously in New Caledonia for at least a decade. This would give them more political influence. The Kanak people in particular – the indigenous people of New Caledonia – have long hoped for their own state.
Thousands of troublemakers cause major damage on the island
The High Commission in New Caledonia announced that around 5,000 rioters took part in the unrest in the greater area of the capital Nouméa. Despite the curfew, the situation was still not under control. The archipelago’s largest hospital, Médipôle de Koutio, says it currently treats mainly emergency cases. However, due to roadblocks, many sick people have difficulty reaching the clinic.
Long lines of concerned citizens formed in front of many shops because food was already being rationed, broadcaster 1ère Nouvelle-Calédonie reported. Gas stations ran out of gas.
“In the grip of unprecedented violence”
The president of the southern province Sonia Backes, a prominent activist for remaining part of France, asked the government in Paris for financial support: “Our territory has been in the grip of unprecedented violence for 72 hours,” she wrote in a letter to the prime minister . Gabriel Attal. The Chamber of Commerce and Industry estimates the initial damage to the economy of New Caledonia at 150 million euros.
Source: Krone
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