Violent Unrest Grips French Pacific Territory
Violent demonstrations have erupted in New Caledonia in response to proposed voting reforms. Reports indicate incidents such as car burnings, looting, and clashes with law enforcement, prompting authorities to enforce a curfew in Noumea and close the international airport.
French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal has urged for calm, denouncing violence as unjustifiable. Initially peaceful protests escalated on Monday, preceding a pending vote in the French National Assembly.
The proposed legislation aims to modify voting regulations, permitting French residents who have resided in New Caledonia for a decade to participate in provincial elections, a change contested by local leaders concerned about its impact on the Kanak population's voting rights.
Rioters are said to have taken over several roundabouts, attacked police stations and confronted police, who responded with non-lethal rounds.
Shots were fired at the police using high-calibre weapons and hunting rifles but none were killed, the High Commissioner Louis Le Franc said, according to AFP.
Over the past two days 82 people have been arrested, France Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said, while 54 police officers had been injured.
He strongly condemned the violence, adding police reinforcements were being sent.
Chief of police Nicolas Mattheos said there had been "a real unleashing of hatred, an outpouring of often intoxicated young people who had obviously been manipulated, with unprecedented violence".
Approximately 30 shops, factories, and other locations have been set ablaze, as reported by a business group.
New Caledonia, situated among five French island territories in the Indo-Pacific, holds the distinction of being the world's third-largest nickel producer. It occupies a pivotal role in President Emmanuel Macron's strategy to bolster France's presence in the region.
See also: Kristi Noem, Trump VP Contender, Banned in Six Native Reservations
