RT.com
22 Nov 2021, 16:45 GMT+10
The mayor of a city hit by protests over Covid-19 restrictions on the French overseas territory of Guadeloupe has called on Paris to restore peace on the island after an arms depot was looted amid the unrest.
Speaking to France Info radio on Monday, Pointe-a-Pitre Mayor Harry Durimel said there were "big worries" on the island, as rioters now had guns after the arms depot was broken into on Sunday. The media reported that rifles were taken from the depot located in the coastal city.
"We just don't know how far this will still go," Durimel stated as he called on France to restore peace and order on the Caribbean island. The mayor said he could still hear noise from protests outside as he spoke in the early hours of the morning.
The island has descended into chaos after labor unions organized walkouts last week to challenge Covid-19 restrictions, including the introduction of mandatory vaccination for health workers.
French Prime Minister Jean Castex is meeting with Guadeloupe lawmakers on Monday to attempt to resolve the crisis.
Schools and colleges will not welcome students on Monday with the protests ongoing and many roads blocked by rioters. According to the president of the local chamber of commerce, Patrick Vial-Collet, more than 80 businesses have been looted since the protests began.
France has sent some 200 police officers and gendarmes from the mainland to the island and introduced a night curfew in an attempt to quell the unrest.
According to French media, unions on the island of Martinique have called for a general strike, raising fears that the unrest could spread to other French island territories.
(RT.com)
Get a daily dose of Jamaican Times news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Jamaican Times.
More InformationREDMOND, Washington: Artificial intelligence is transforming Microsoft's bottom line. The company saved over US$500 million last year...
WASHINGTON, D.C.: A federal rule designed to make it easier for Americans to cancel subscriptions has been blocked by a U.S. appeals...
BASTROP, Texas: In a surprising turn at Elon Musk's X platform, CEO Linda Yaccarino announced she is stepping down, just months after...
NEW YORK CITY, New York: Former British prime minister Rishi Sunak will return to Goldman Sachs in an advisory role, the Wall Street...
LONDON, U.K.: Physically backed gold exchange-traded funds recorded their most significant semi-annual inflow since the first half...
AMSTERDAM, Netherlands: Some 32 percent of global semiconductor production could face climate change-related copper supply disruptions...
ATLANTA, Georgia: The United States is facing its worst measles outbreak in more than three decades, with 1,288 confirmed cases so...
In the past month alone, 23 Israeli soldiers have been killed in Gaza—three more than the number of remaining living hostages held...
LONDON, U.K.: At least 13 people are believed to have taken their own lives as a result of the U.K.'s Post Office scandal, in which...
WASHINGTON, D.C.: Travelers at U.S. airports will no longer need to remove their shoes during security screenings, Department of Homeland...
WASHINGTON, D.C.: An elaborate impersonation scheme involving artificial intelligence targeted senior U.S. and foreign officials in...
SLUBICE, Poland: Poland reinstated border controls with Germany and Lithuania on July 7, following Germany's earlier reintroduction...