Major urban violence broke out in Fort-de-France (Martinique) on the night of Monday to Tuesday. Seven police officers were injured by gunfire, according to police sources.
The urban violence began around 7 p.m. according to a police Source. Groups of individuals set up barricades with pallets and tires on roads, particularly in the sensitive Sainte-Thérèse neighborhood. A vehicle was also set on fire and pushed by the rioters. The violence lasted for most of the night. “Individuals armed with long weapons have been seen on several occasions”underlines the same Source.
Containers were opened and looted at the port of Fort-de-France, reports RCI. “In one of the containers there was a motorbike. They took off with it. There was a car at the back but they got on it. They broke the window of the truck to take money from it.”describes an employee interviewed by our colleagues. “They damaged all the cars that were there”A Duty Free store was also looted around 1:30 a.m. on the Quai des Tourelles, according to our information.
Nearly 300 tear gas grenades used
The police and gendarmes were targeted by numerous projectiles and Molotov cocktails during their various interventions to remove the roadblocks. “The police were also the target of gunfire around twenty times during the night.”explains a second police Source.
“They responded with dozens of tear gas grenades and shots from defense ball launchers (LBD), but also with their HK G36 rifle on two occasions when they were targeted by shots and there was no other choice for their safety”. The seven police officers were injured by buckshot, the Source said. Their life is not in danger. A vehicle from the anti-crime squad (BAC) was also fired upon by Brennek (our photo). Two suspects were arrested and a man was admitted to hospital shortly before 4 a.m., with a gunshot wound of unknown origin.
In a press release, the prefecture launches an appeal “to calm and responsibility”. “Several dozen gunshots targeted the internal security forces, causing six police officers to be injured. Two individuals were arrested.”it is specified.
In total, around thirty police officers were deployed, including several from the RAID branch, as well as 45 mobile gendarmes.
“Nearly 300 tear gas grenades were used to restore calm, as the situation became extremely tense, in addition to around sixty LBD shots”according to the same Source.
Already shootings at police officers at the beginning of September
Urban violence broke out on the night of September 2-3. Six police officers were shot and injured. Two suspects opened fire on the Fort-de-France police station on the night of September 6-7, without causing any casualties.
This violence comes as hypermarkets were blocked last weekend at the call of the Rally for the Protection of Afro-Caribbean Peoples and Resources (RPPRAC). The group demanded that Martinique’s large retailers align their prices with those charged in mainland stores, and called for the island of around 360,000 inhabitants to be blocked until transparency is provided on the ongoing negotiations.
“The Republic must not accept such trivialization of violence”
“Once again, Martinique is the scene of extreme urban violence, this time linked to fierce opposition to the high cost of living.”deplores Cédric Boyer, national Drom-Com delegate of the Alliance Police Nationale union,
Actu17. “Barriers have been formed at night for several days, several vehicles and public property have been burned. Seven police officers have been injured by buckshot and Alliance Police Nationale gives them its full support in these difficult times. As is the case all too often, individuals take advantage of a situation to sow chaos and want to fight the authorities, using unprecedented violence, since the latter no longer hesitate to shoot our colleagues with live ammunition.”.
“We denounce, in the strongest terms, these crimes against our police officers who put their lives in danger every day in an attempt to preserve peace.”continues Cédric Boyer.
“A state reaction will be needed quickly because the Republic must not accept such trivialization of violence. The overseas territories need a real security policy and our organization will ensure that our colleagues can work in complete safety, in the face of this scourge that is eating away at Martinique and more broadly our overseas territories.”.
Related News :