BASSE-TERRE, Guadeloupe – FRENCH President Nicholas Sarkozy is set to meet today (Feb. 19) with Guadeloupian lawmakers in an effort to end the month-old strike that has paralysed the French overseas territory.
According to BBC Caribbean, the move comes amid increasing violence in the territory after striking workers had promised to intensify protests against the high cost of living after French officials refused a wage increase for low-income earners.
After being closed on Monday (Feb. 16), Guadeloupe’s airport was reopened on the following day. Airport authorities blamed the closure on protesters who had thrown debris onto the runway.
Earlier this week, police arrested and detained demonstrators who had set fire to roadblocks. Fresh violence on Wednesday night (Feb. 18) saw security forces coming under fire, as armed youth fired shots at them near the capital.
Police reports indicate no one was wounded and that the forces subsequently withdrew from the area after firing back tear gas at the youth.
Hundreds of extra police and paramilitary gendarmes have been sent to Guadeloupe since the strike degenerated into looting and violence. Protesters have looted shops, smashed storefront windows, torched cars and set fire to two stores.
Most shops, cafes, banks, schools and government offices have been closed since the strike was launched on January 20. The industrial action has also hit the island’s key tourism industry, as thousands of potential visitors have cancelled trips and have instead chosen to visit other Caribbean islands.
The strike has also spread to the neighbouring island and fellow French overseas territory of Martinique.
Guadeloupe News