New Caledonia was hit by violent unrest after Paris proposed to change the local voting system
The French authorities have imposed curfew, closed the airport and banned all public gatherings in the Pacific Ocean territory of New Caledonia, which was swept by protests and riots sparked by a controversial constitutional reform.
Colonized by France in the 19th century, the archipelago has a history of uprisings against foreign rule. The last armed insurgency of the indigenous Kanak people ended in 1988, when Paris agreed to grant increased autonomy to New Caledonia.
The protests began on Monday morning in response to the proposed changes to the local voting system. On Tuesday night, the French National Assembly adopted a bill aimed at allowing non-indigenous citizens to vote in New Caledonia’s local elections. The reform, which local independence activists fear will lower the voting power of the Kanaks, still needs to be approved in a joint session of the National Assembly and the Senate.
The violent unrest Monday and Tuesday was accompanied by arson and looting, with local media reporting that gunshots were heard in the regional capital of Noumea.
Personne n’a pour le moment le contrôle de la ville de #Nouméa . #NouvelleCalédonie le vote de l’Assemblée nationale concernant le dégel du corps électoral sera déterminant car toute l’île pourrait s’embrasser. @GDarmanin @AssembleeNat @EmmanuelMacron #France @_LesPatriotes pic.twitter.com/CiYMhoaBCP
— Jérémy Simon NC (@JeremySimonNC) May 14, 2024
“More than 130 people were arrested, and dozens of rioters were taken into custody and will be brought to trial,” the office of the French High Commissioner in New Caledonia said in a statement, adding that there was an escape attempt at a prison in Noumea.