Long-forbidden French anti-riot force sent to Martinique as thousands defy bans on protests

Mexico City — 

France has sent a radical of peculiar anti-riot constabulary that's been banned for 65 years to the French Caribbean land of Martinique, wherever protesters person gathered contempt the authorities barring demonstrations successful parts of the island.

The unit arrived this play aft the section typical of France's cardinal authorities successful its overseas territory said successful a connection that protests were forbidden successful the municipalities of Fort-de-France, Le Lamentin, Ducos and Le Robert until Monday. The authorities besides issued a curfew.

The restrictions came aft convulsive protests broke retired connected the land past week implicit the precocious outgo of living, with gunfire injuring astatine slightest six constabulary officers and 1 civilian. Police launched teardrop state and authorities officials said respective stores were besides looted.

Officials said the bans were meant "to enactment an extremity to the unit and harm committed astatine gatherings, arsenic good arsenic to the galore obstacles to regular beingness and state of question that penalize the full population, peculiarly astatine weekends."

But the measurement was met by defiance by galore connected the island, with monolithic peaceful protests breaking retired Saturday night. Videos from section media amusement crowds of thousands peacefully walking on highways overnight banging connected drums and waiving flags.

As protests coiled connected without violence, the unit of French anti-riot constabulary arrived connected the land and were staying astatine a edifice successful Fort-de-France connected Sunday. It wasn't instantly wide however galore were sent.

The elite riot police, known arsenic the Companies for Republican Security, were banned successful the French territory pursuing bloody riots successful December 1959. The portion had been accused of utilizing disproportionate unit against protesters, ending successful the deaths of a fig of young demonstrators. The unit is seldom deployed successful French territories successful the Caribbean but was called connected during riots and strikes successful Guadeloupe successful 2009.

Martinique's leaders requested the forces amid the caller protests successful an historical displacement for the island, and 1 met with a crisp rejection by immoderate successful the territory.

Beatrice Bellay, a typical of the socialist enactment connected the island, blasted the move, saying: "Martinique is not successful a civilian war, it is simply a societal war." She called for an "open and transparent dialogue" betwixt protesters and the government.

"This measurement ... lone serves to aggravate tensions and distract attraction from the morganatic demands of the radical of Martinique," she wrote successful a connection Sunday.