“Violence is never justified or justifiable,” said Gabriel Attal on Tuesday, May 14, regarding the riots that have been shaking New Caledonia for several days, where 82 people were arrested. “The priority, obviously, for us is to restore order, calm and serenity,” added the Prime Minister on the sidelines of a trip to Savoie.
Gabriel Attal, urged by three of his predecessors to regain control of this issue historically led by Matignon, also assured that he “would be there (…) to move forward in the dialogue” in this very sensitive matter. These riots take place in the midst of examination in the National Assembly of a constitutional revision decried by the separatists. Follow our live stream.
All Air Calédonie flights canceled. “All flights scheduled to and from all destinations” on site were canceled on Tuesday, reports Air Calédonie on its website. The airline specifies that “the passengers concerned have been notified.. For its part, the airline Aircalin announces the “Closure of Tontouta airport” and the cancellation of its flights scheduled until Thursday.
“Tense shooting with large-caliber weapons.” At a press conference on Tuesday, the High Commissioner of the Republic has “warned” the rioters. Louis Le Franc reported “tense shots with large caliber weapons, hunting rifles, on the gendarmes”. “We have no deaths, there are no serious injuries at the moment, there could have been some,” declared the state representative, calling for calm.
A curfew decreed for the night from Tuesday to Wednesday. This curfew will be effective from Tuesday 6 p.m. to Wednesday 6 a.m., announced in a press release.e High Commission of the Republic in New Caledonia. Any gathering is also prohibited in Greater Nouméa, as is the carrying of weapons and the sale of alcohol throughout the archipelago. The 270,000 inhabitants are invited to stay at home.
Violence all day and evening Monday. Violence punctuated the day and evening of Monday, as debates on constitutional reform opened in Paris. At the entrance to Nouméa, a large factory was the victim of an arson attack and completely ravaged by flames. Several supermarkets were looted in the “capital” but also in the neighboring towns of Dumbéa and Mont-Dore.
