Looting, fires, violence… After a night of chaos in Martinique, the prefect took several measures to try to restore calm to the island. Since September, the Caribbean island has been marked by a movement against the high cost of living which has degenerated into urban violence. What exactly happened? How did we get to this point and how are the authorities reacting? We explain everything to you.
What happened?
The night from Thursday to Friday was marked by looting, fires and violence which left 26 police and gendarmes injured. No less than 400 vehicles were burned, with a huge parking lot housing new cars imported into Martinique going up in smoke. In the east of the island, a man was shot and killed in circumstances that are still unclear. From a source close to the case, the man was the victim of a settling of scores between rioters.
Earlier, Thursday afternoon, more than fifty people invaded the runway at Fort-de-France airport, after rumors circulating on social networks according to which hundreds of CRS were to arrive in Martinique by plane. Many stores were also looted. “The stores are broken because we broke the people’s wallets,” declared Rodrigue Petitot, president of RPPRAC (Rally for the Protection of Afro-Caribbean Peoples and Resources).
Why this urban violence?
The starting point of this violence was demonstrations against the high cost of living. The movement against the high cost of living was launched at the beginning of September by the Rally for the Protection of Afro-Caribbean Peoples and Resources (RPPRAC), which demands alignment with France in the prices of food products.
According to an INSEE study published in 2023, prices were 14% higher in Martinique than in mainland France in 2022. If we only take food into account, the figure rises to 40%. The difference is particularly significant for dairy products, meat, fruit and soft drinks, according to the statistical institute. And on the island, the cost of living is not limited to food. Communication services, leisure, culture and housing also cost more. A problem all the more important as Martinique has a poverty rate close to 27%, compared to 14.5% in France.
How are the authorities reacting?
Faced with the violence, the prefect of Martinique decreed a curfew from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. until Monday. He also banned gatherings and demonstrations throughout the country until Monday. Schools will remain closed for the second consecutive day on Friday, indicated the Martinique rectorate. The Martinique University Hospital announced on Thursday the launch of a blank plan during which “deprogramming of surgical procedures or consultations are organized”. In addition, pharmacies on the island declared on the same day “no longer able to provide emergency service”. The prefecture also decided to close the island’s airport at the end of Thursday. Three flights were diverted to Guadeloupe, affecting more than 1,100 passengers.
A sixth round table against the high cost of living is planned for 3 p.m. this Friday with the various stakeholders. The five previous ones, bringing together the RPPRAC and economic actors, elected officials, State services and the Territorial Authority of Martinique did not produce results deemed satisfactory by the protesters.