Figure of the movement against the high cost of living in Martinique, Rodrigue Petitot, at the head of the Rally for the Protection of Afro-Caribbean Peoples and Resources (RPPRAC), arrived in Paris on Saturday, wishing “to be received by the Minister of Overseas Territories ” and calling for demonstrations on Sunday.
“We come to report the suffering of the people, as close as possible to those who rule,” declared Mr. Petitot, known as “the R”, upon his arrival at Orly airport, recognizable by his hat and red moccasins. Under the airport slogan “Paris loves you”, around thirty supporters were waiting for him and shouted “we are at home everywhere, even here!”.
This trip takes place two weeks after the signing of a protocol between the State, Martinican elected officials and distribution and logistics players, which the RPPRAC rejected. This protocol aims to gradually reduce the prices of 6,000 products in hypermarkets by 20%.
“They signed a protocol between them, but the people refuse this protocol,” Mr. Petitot told AFP. “We are the representatives of the people and the least respect would be to put the people at the table” of the negotiations, he insisted, in the name of the movement launched at the beginning of September.
“In the emergency where Martinique, Guadeloupe, the other lands are located, at a time when small businesses are being looted, where there is damage, we do not have time to wait for an invitation (from the ministry , editor's note), it is a state of emergency where we must act quickly, provide solutions, so that the people are satisfied and calm returns,” he added.
“We did not come to beg anything from the Barnier government,” underlined Mr. Petitot, insisting on the idea that “the people of Martinique are expecting (…) the same respect as the French of the Hexagon”.
The RPPRAC is not organizing the demonstration planned in Paris on Sunday (departing from Place Denfert-Rochereau at 1:00 p.m.), at the initiative of Kanak collectives in particular, but will participate, said Mr. Petitot, to “do as much as possible noise”.
His welcoming committee included the vice-president of the Ultramarins Doubout association, Louis-Philippe Mars, a 51-year-old engineer, who fights in particular “against overly expensive plane tickets”. “The movement (against the high cost of living) was born in Martinique and it would be good for it to spread across all overseas territories and lead to awareness of inequalities on French territory,” a- he said.
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