Martinique-Aimé-Césaire international airport was closed on Thursday evening following further incidents linked to the anti-cost-of-living protests, according to an announcement by the island’s prefecture

Martinique airport closed due to new violence linked to anti-cost-of-living protests

Martinique-Aimé-Césaire international airport, located in Fort-de-France, was forced to close late on Thursday evening, October 10, following violence that broke out on the bangs of the anti-cost-of-living protests. The decision was announced by the island’s prefecture, at a time when the situation in Martinique is becoming increasingly tense.

A climate of growing tension

For several days now, the island has been plagued by a series of incidents of urban violence, despite the introduction of a curfew designed to restore calm. Looting, arson and damage are on the increase, culminating in the invasion of the airport by around 50 demonstrators on Thursday evening. Their objective was clear: to prevent the arrival of reinforcements from the forces of law and order.

Faced with this situation, the authorities quickly decided to close the airport, causing three planes to be diverted to Guadeloupe, affecting over 1,000 passengers. In addition, around 500 passengers due to board from Fort-de-France were stranded.

Chilling testimonies

The events left a deep impression on those who witnessed them. “It was extremely violent. I was very scared”, said a passenger interviewed by journalists on the scene. Others described scenes of chaos, with cars in flames and projectiles littering the ground.

Escalating violence

Despite the scale of the violence, the protesters remain determined. “We’ll go all the way,” says one protester, underlining the frustration driving the movement. Since September, Martinique has been rocked by protests linked to the rising cost of living, a recurring problem in the French overseas departments.

In an already tense climate, a tragedy has added even more gloom to the situation. A man was shot dead during looting in the town of Le Robert. According to the authorities, there was no armed intervention by the forces of law and order, and the hypothesis of a settling of scores between rioters is favored.

Drastic measures to restore calm

In response to the seriousness of the situation, the Prefect of Martinique, Jean-Christophe Bouvier, took strict measures. A curfew has been introduced from 9pm to 5am, and all gatherings and demonstrations have been banned from 6pm, with these measures valid until Monday.

In addition, schools will remain closed for the second consecutive day. The Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Martinique has also triggered a white plan, deprogramming certain non-urgent interventions, although cases linked to oncology and emergencies remain a priority.

Ongoing negotiations

In an attempt to find a way out of the crisis, a sixth round table is scheduled for Friday October 11, bringing together the various players involved: representatives of the protest movement, economic players, elected representatives, government departments and the Collectivité Territoriale de Martinique. However, the five previous meetings failed to produce solutions deemed satisfactory by the protesters.