Violence in Martinique: curfew and ban on demonstrations

During the night of Wednesday to Thursday, several stores were set alight and looted, while flaming barricades were erected in various communes across the island.

In response to this escalation of violence, Martinique’s prefect decided to introduce a curfew from 9pm and to ban all demonstrations nationwide from 6pm, as reported by France Télévisions on Thursday October 10.

These events have left the already tense island in a state of desolation, with at least 12 gendarmes injured. This climate of unrest follows a protest movement against the cost of living, a recurring problem in the overseas territories, which recently spilled over into urban violence.