Violent riots hit French overseas territory (VIDEO)

A curfew has been introduced in Martinique following protests over the high cost of living

Fierce protests that erupted in the French Caribbean island of Martinique have led to a curfew being imposed in several districts of its administrative center of Fort-de-France, Le Monde reported on Wednesday, citing the local prefecture.

The restrictions, imposed from 9pm to 5am in the port area and several other parts of the city, will remain in effect until at least September 23 as additional law enforcement measures are taken across the island.

The city’s port, which is the key delivery point to the territory, has been the center of a massive protest movement against soaring food prices since the beginning of this week.

Martinique’s government earlier reported that at least six police officers were injured by gunfire during the violent riots, and two unidentified suspects were arrested in connection with the incidents.

On Tuesday night, a McDonald’s restaurant in the city district of Dillon was set on fire along with numerous barricades, local authorities told AFP. Carrefour hypermarket in the same neighborhood was “invaded by around fifty individuals, who set up a barricade in the parking lot and tried to set it on fire.”

Similar protests have hit Martinique and other overseas territories in recent years, many of them fueled by fury over rising cost of living. According to the latest report by the National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies (Insee), in 2022, food prices in Martinique and other French overseas territories were 40% higher than in France.