At least one person died and more than a dozen were injured during another night of heavy rioting in Martinique, which has become the scene of a wave of protests against the French government over the high cost of life in the overseas territory.
Local authorities warned of rising tensions in the area, where one person died from gunshot wounds and twelve other gendarmes were injured, including one by gunshot.
The deceased died after being transferred to a hospital in the region due to the seriousness of the injuries sustained in the commune of Robert, located in the east of the island. However, security forces assured that the officers did not use their firearms during the night.
However, dozens of businesses were looted and burned, so the first estimates of the cost of the damage caused are significant, according to information from RCI radio.
Firefighters have confirmed that the deceased – a young man whose age has not yet been released – died at Le Robert, near Océanis, around 3am (local time). Sources close to the case indicated that everything indicates that the death occurred following an argument between several people.
Since September, Martinique has been plunged into an upsurge in violence against a backdrop of demonstrations against Paris. These demonstrations are led by the movement launched by the Group for the Protection of Afro-Caribbean Peoples and Resources, which calls for the equalization of food prices with those of mainland France, 40 percent cheaper.
Even if the situation seemed to have calmed down in recent weeks, new incidents broke out on Monday between the police and activists blocking the Lamentin road, near Fort-de-France. Since then, acts of violence have been reported every night.
On Wednesday, four gendarmes were injured in Carbet, in the north, as they prepared to lift a blockade. Protesters also set fire to a municipal building that served as a post for security forces.
