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Long-forbidden French anti-riot force sent to Martinique as thousands defy bans on protests (apnews.com)

submitted 1 month ago by girlfreddy@lemmy.ca to c/world@lemmy.world

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France has sent a group of special anti-riot police that’s been banned for 65 years to the French Caribbean island of Martinique, where protesters have gathered despite the government barring demonstrations in parts of the island.

The force arrived this weekend after the local representative of France’s central government in its overseas territory, said in a statement that protests were forbidden in the municipalities of Fort-de-France, Le Lamentin, Ducos and Le Robert until Monday. The government also issued a curfew.

The restrictions came after violent protests broke out on the island last week over the high cost of living, with gunfire injuring at least six police officers and one civilian. Police launched tear gas and government officials said several stores were also looted.

The elite riot police, known as the Companies for Republican Security, were banned in the French territory following bloody riots in December 1959. The unit had been accused of using disproportionate force against protesters, ending in the deaths of a number of young demonstrators. The force is rarely deployed in French territories in the Caribbean, but was called on during riots and strikes in Guadeloupe in 2009.

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[-] Caligvla@lemmy.dbzer0.com 75 points 1 month ago

Kind of crazy that in plain 2024 France still has fucking colonies in the Americas. Jesus Christ...

[-] Diplomjodler3@lemmy.world 35 points 1 month ago

French colonialism never went away.

[-] almar_quigley@lemmy.world 35 points 1 month ago

colonialism never went away. Europe loves to look down their noses but a ton of countries still have colonies all over the world. The only change from past centuries is we think it’s a thing of the past. US as well fwiw.

[-] SomethingBurger@jlai.lu 16 points 1 month ago

Martinique held a vote for more autonomy in 2010 and No got 80%.

[-] Saleh@feddit.org 8 points 1 month ago

They would have given Algeria the Palestine treatment, if the Algerians didn't kick them out in a decade long war with about 1.5 Million people slaughtered by the French.

[-] Caligvla@lemmy.dbzer0.com 4 points 1 month ago

I don't know much about Martinique but from what I gather at least they seem to treat them better than the U.S. with Puerto Rico, so that's something...

[-] apfelwoiSchoppen@lemmy.world 39 points 1 month ago

Fuck colonialism and fuck the police.

[-] PoopDelivery@sh.itjust.works 29 points 1 month ago

Fuck France for doing this. Barring demonstrations and protests, then sending some special anti riot pieces of shit to hurt people stuck on the island that France forced their ancestors to, and now their likely stuck on, is gross as fuck. And living on the island sucks it sounds like, probably because of France.

[-] barsoap@lemm.ee 1 points 1 month ago

And living on the island sucks it sounds like, probably because of France.

HDI of 0.848, top spot in the Caribbean. Taking Latin America as comparison, Chile and Argentinia edge it out by a smidgen and those are large countries with resources and economies of scale (Martinique is like 350k people).

GDP/capita is 40,587 (USD PPP), not that dissimilar to France's poorer European regions (Corsica: 43,564, Hauts-de-France: 45,961). It's the richest overseas department.

They had a referendum for more autonomy (not even independence, just cease to be a department and become an overseas collective instead) in 2010, the 'no's had it with 80% at a 55% turnout. What do you expect Paris to do, kick them to the curb?

This might, you know, just be French people being French and protesting a lot and violently. If this would happen anywhere else in France people would call it business as usual. Because, you know, French folks elsewhere have been protesting a lot and violently about standards of living. Practically every Banlieue in mainland France should be quite a bit worse off regarding that though that kind of reasoning is erm problématique.

[-] PoopDelivery@sh.itjust.works 2 points 1 month ago

People are protesting because the cost of living is so high, they don't give a fuck about HDI or GDP.

The 2010 referrendem was proposed because of high cost of living and rich white people controlling everything. Plus, were they gonna get support going forward or were they expected to become independent on their own after like 500 years of being colonized?

I'm guessing rich white people are still in control, and the protestors are mostly black. Doubt they'd send their controversial anti riot police to beat on an island full of white French people.

[-] barsoap@lemm.ee 2 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

Plus, were they gonna get support going forward or were they expected to become independent on their own after like 500 years of being colonized?

The referendum wasn't about independence, but becoming an overseas collective. Increased autonomy. More legislative power to the region itself. I'm not that firm on French constitutional law but it probably would have been useful if you planned on doing land reform, or expropriate. Not necessary when it comes to EU cohesion funds, the EU is very keen on having people decide locally, anyway, because of the Brits. Speaking of the EU and cohesion funds, have a brief.

I’m guessing rich white people are still in control, and the protestors are mostly black.

Few people still own lots of land, the state is still in control and still democratic, and the protestors are mostly workers. Of note: Agriculture doesn't dominate the economy, that is, that land ownership comes with limited economic power. I don't think land reform would really make a systemic difference stuff like education is more important, not that I would be opposed though. Do I read "why not make money with medical tourism from the US" between the lines in that EU brief. I

...anyhow. Note the absence of "white" and "black": This is France, even if melanin is distributed in certain ways noone wants to talk about anything in race terms (unless it's literal individual racism) because All French Are Equal and All French Are French, and no when France wins a football game it's not Africa that wins. That's shit racists say. You may not like it, but that's how the French want to roll.

I wonder what happened to good ole class analysis in the Anglosphere. Too leftist?

Doubt they’d send their controversial anti riot police to beat on an island full of white French people.

That'd be Corsica. Yes, yes they definitely would. They probably did in 2022 it just didn't make the news. Corsicans, at least, had the sense of actually accepting an offer for more autonomy. The language issue still isn't solved, though, I think, and apparently hell will freeze over before the French will ratify the ECRML.

[-] gravitas_deficiency@sh.itjust.works 20 points 1 month ago

[-] mightyfoolish@lemmy.world 10 points 1 month ago

despite the government barring demonstrations in parts of the island.

Seems to be a common occurance for France and Germany to ban protests on certain topics. Is there selection criteria for these? I can already tell in the US they let Republicans protest for just about any reason while everyone else can (not always) be denied a permit for their demonstrations.

[-] GiveMemes@jlai.lu 7 points 1 month ago

In the US they usually just hit you with trumped up charges for daring to do something. When the keystone xl pipeline was being built some protesters crawled inside so they couldn't continue working... those protesters were charged with attempted murder iirc (because it was dangerous for them to crawl inside the pipeline or some bs).

[-] barsoap@lemm.ee -1 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

Is there selection criteria for these?

Topics? No. Stuff turning violent? Yes. But don't let that tarnish your narrative. And the stuff in Martinique was violent, even judged by French standards. Burning trash and tear gas canisters getting lobbed back are par for the course, but officers getting shot? Not so much. Not exactly sporting behaviour.

[-] b161@lemmy.blahaj.zone 8 points 1 month ago

Fuck colonisation. Abolish the police and decolonize the planet. This never-ending escalation of violence to maintain the wealth of the ruling class will only end in misery and death for all of us.

[-] Akasazh@feddit.nl 1 points 1 month ago

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/2010_Martiniquean_status_referendum

[-] Roflmasterbigpimp@lemmy.world 1 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

Okay, sending the Beat-Up-Force is wrong. But what can you do now? Yes, the Government should have handled things better to begin with, but what would be the right way to respond now? Disband the Government? I honestly have no Idea, and I'm genuine curious.

[-] BastingChemina@slrpnk.net 4 points 1 month ago

The government could listen to people, this is what protests are, people who want to be heard.

But instead of listening to people the president decided to appoint a far right government despite the fact that the left for the majority during the last election.

[-] barsoap@lemm.ee 1 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

Yeah but that's France in general and not Martinique in particular so you can't tie it into an anticolonial narrative so the .ml faction don't care.

this post was submitted on 22 Sep 2024

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