News Americas, New York, NY, 16 October 2024: Residents of Martinique will remain under an overnight curfew until October 21 as authorities try to protect the French overseas territory from fresh unrest sparked by rising food prices. The decision follows violent protests last week, which left one person dead and nearly 30 police officers injured.
The French Caribbean island, home to 350,000 people, has faced weeks of protests over the high cost of living, with food prices reported to be 40% higher than in mainland France. Demonstrations escalated into violence last week, with protesters looting shops, setting up burning barricades and clashing with law enforcement.
According to a statement from Martinique’s prefecture, the curfew, originally imposed from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m., has been extended to an “extraordinary measure” to protect people and property.
While the unrest has calmed down over the past 48 hours with no major incidents reported, the situation remains tense. Elementary and middle school students are expected to gradually return to classes starting Tuesday, education officials announced.
The protests, which began in early September, were organized by the Assembly for the Protection of Afro-Caribbean Peoples and Resources (RPPRAC), demanding that food prices in Martinique align with those in mainland France. Although the government has held several meetings with activists and retailers to explore ways to lower prices, negotiations have stalled. The president of Martinique’s governing body, Serge Letchimy, said no further talks would be held due to the lack of a “concrete and workable new proposal”.
RPPRAC leader Rodrigue Petitot expressed the activists’ willingness to continue the protest, saying: “We are a people who legitimately demand the right to have food at respectable prices and all we have been given so far is repression.”
