Protesters in the French territory of Guadeloupe were on Friday occupying the local legislature in a new flare-up of a standoff with Paris sparked by COVID-19 rules.
There have been tensions in the Caribbean overseas territory during the past few weeks over rules including obligatory COVID-19 vaccinations for healthcare workers that have fed into long-standing local grievances.
Protesters first entered the debating chamber of the regional council while it was meeting on Thursday, with several staying the night to continue their action into Friday.
Photo: AFP
Councilors were able to leave peacefully.
Protesters said they want to negotiate with Paris over the crisis, but officials have so far indicated that there can be no talks as long as such actions are carried out.
The protesters notably want all sanctions halted against healthcare workers who have refused to get vaccinated against COVID-19.
“We’re here and as long as we don’t have a commitment, because we have nothing at all, we have absolutely nothing, so as long as we don’t have a firm commitment, an urgent meeting, we’ll stay here,” Maite Hubert M’toumo, a local union leader, told reporters in the legislature. “If we have to, we’ll spend Christmas here. But we’ll stay here.”
Raphael Cece, a reporter at the Rebelle newspaper, said: “We are not against the vaccine, but we are fighting against this injustice, the sanctions, the mandatory vaccines for health workers.”
French Minister of the Overseas Sebastien Lecornu lashed out at their action, writing on Twitter: “No demand justifies hindering the smooth running of an assembly of elected officials in the middle of a plenary session.”
COVID-19 vaccination rates in France’s Caribbean territories are far lower than those in mainland France, and there are concerns that a new wave involving the fast-spreading Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 could spark serious problems.
The crisis brought the island to a standstill last month when protesters set up barricades around major roads.
Healthcare workers who did not want to be vaccinated would be suspended from Friday, but can be helped to transition into other work.
France’s Caribbean territories, remnants of the colonial era, are seen as luxury holiday destinations by people in mainland France.
However, residents there believe that they have long suffered from neglect by Paris, which has resulted in living standards well below the French average.
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