France seeks to quell food price unrest in overseas territory

A curfew has been declared in Martinique following renewed violence

France imposed another curfew on Friday on the Caribbean island of Martinique, amid violent protests over the soaring cost of living, raging for more than a month.

At least one person has been killed and 26 police officers injured in riots since the start of the week, and multiple stores have been looted. Videos circulating on social media show demonstrators putting up burning barricades and throwing rocks and bottles at police, who responded with tear gas.

The local French administration has announced a ban on public gatherings across the territory until October 14. The sale of items that could potentially be used for arson has also been prohibited, according to Reuters.

The local government has issued a statement stressing that no police officers used their weapons during the riots, and that the death of a civilian is being investigated, according to ABC News.

🚨En Martinique la colère du peuple monte les #responsables du chaos ne sont pas présent la #police n’arrive pas à calmer la #situation désastreuse 🎥@christine_kelly pic.twitter.com/KOrCq4NyUm

— 🕊️Myriam🕊️Sauvons L’humanité🕊️@CelebritesSM🕊 (@Resistance_SM) October 11, 2024

French Overseas Minister Francois-Noel Buffet has condemned the violence and called for “responsibility and calm.” 

Didier Laguerre, mayor of the island’s capital, Fort-de-France, has sought to ease tensions, saying the protesters’ demands are legitimate.

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“I understand the suffering and anger,” Laguerre said in a written statement. “I know everyone’s impatience and the resignation of those who have lost hope for a long time.”

In September, local authorities enforced a similar curfew in several neighborhoods of Fort-de-France and the nearby town of Le Lamentin over the unrest on the island of 350,000 residents. Back then, the protests were led by the Assembly for the Protection of Afro-Caribbean Peoples and Resources, which demanded that food prices be aligned with mainland France.

Martinique and other French overseas territories have been struggling with spiraling food and transport costs. According to France’s National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies, average food prices are 40% higher than in mainland France.

Protesters have been calling for reforms, including a reduction in import taxes and better regulation of local markets, to tackle inequality.