MARIGOT–Gendarmes in riot gear pulled down barricades and doused garbage bin fires to unblock main roads on the French side on Thursday while firing tear gas cannisters to disperse protestors in the strongest signal yet that the local St. Martin population will not accept the State’s natural risk prevention plan PPRN.
It is thought the Enquiry Commission’s favourable report and conclusions on the PPRN released on Tuesday triggered the latest protest, while the ongoing issue of the potable water situation is another grievance.
However, the latter issue has been resolved, according to an announcement by the Préfecture on Thursday, and the “all clear” to drink water from the taps will be given next week if regional health authority ARS confirms the latest test results.
Roads were blocked in St. James, Grand Case and French Quarter, paralysing traffic and bringing normal activity to a standstill. The unrest continued all day and into the evening. The Préfecture appealed for motorists not to use the roads unless absolutely necessary. All school bus transportation was cancelled for the day and all public schools ordered closed today, Friday.
Sandy Ground, the main scene of a prolonged stand-off between Gendarmes and protestors since very early in the morning, resembled a war zone by 1:00pm with debris and burning tyres strewn over the road. Several wrecked cars and barricades were set alight, thick black smoke filling the air.
Wrecked cars blocked the main road on either side of the bridge as a large group of protestors commandeered it, preventing any access except for emergency vehicles. Some two hours passed before Gendarmes decided to force their way over the bridge from the Marigot side, backed up by a convoy of trucks and other Gendarmerie vehicles.
Protestors taunted Gendarmes and hurled stones and other projectiles at them. Gendarmes responded with tear gas. Several loud explosions were heard, but it was not confirmed what those were and whether it was part of the Gendarmerie’s crowd control weaponry. Gendarmes were also seen wearing body cameras and using a drone overhead to film the protest.
There were no immediate reports of any injuries or arrests. Once over the bridge Gendarmes were met with further resistance from protestors farther along in Sandy Ground as more barricades were erected, protestors using the narrow alleys to frustrate Gendarmes.
Earlier in the morning, around 10:00am, Gendarmes had removed barricades of pallets and garbage bins in St. James, meeting less resistance from protestors. These scenes were repeated in Grand Case and French Quarter. As quickly as barricades were removed, they sprang up again later, which occurred in the afternoon at the junction of Rue Kennedy and Rue Lowtown, and again in St. James, trapping motorists who were forced to turn around or wait indefinitely.
By sunset there were reports of Gendarmes retreating from Sandy Ground after coming under attack from protestors. Fires were still burning by the bridge and a Gendarmerie drone and civilian pickup truck were reportedly destroyed. Fires continued to burn at the Agrément roundabout and other places. Traffic was still backed up well into the evening.
Neither President Gibbs nor Préfete Déléguée Sylvie Feucher was seen at the protests. The only elected officials seen on site were Vice-President Steven Patrick and Opposition Councillor Louis Mussington.
Mussington was accompanied by Lenny Mussington of Soualiga United Movement who had organised the last protest against the PPRN. The pair attempted to dialogue with protestors to calm the situation, but the protestors were adamant they only wanted to hear from a Minister in France and not Gibbs or Feucher. Gibbs later issued a message on Facebook appealing for calm.
“The people are fed up with not being taken seriously,” said Lenny Mussington. “It’s been two years now, they are not allowed to rebuild and living in deplorable conditions. They have had enough. And how is it possible on an island that depends on tourism that economic development is blocked on the coastline.”
The main list of demands issued by the movement Union du Peuple Travailleurs St. Martinois are: scrap the PPRN imposed on the population by anticipation on August 6, 2019; halt immediately distribution of water contaminated by bromates, and cease distributing exorbitant water bills; stop all expropriation procedures on the coastline of St. Martin; give ownership access to parcels of land on the coastline to people in their 30s; and stop judicial controls against inhabitants reconstructing their houses destroyed after Hurricane Irma.
According to a statement from the Préfecture, the draft PPRN is currently being updated to take into account the recommendations formulated by the Enquiry Commission. The public enquiry on the revision of the PPRN closed on October 31. The services of Direction Environment et Aménagement et du Lodgement (DEAL) will now analyse the recommendations to adapt a final document. It is not known when it will be implemented.
Source: The Daily Herald https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islands/93243-protestors-battle-with-gendarmes-as-anger-over-pprn-plan-escalates
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