Martinique, a French Caribbean island, has experienced a surge in unrest due to rising living costs. An individual died from gunshot wounds during violent confrontations between protesters and law enforcement, resulting in injuries to 12 officers.
The island, with a population of around 350,000, has been experiencing weeks of unrest due to rising living expenses.
Demonstrators engaged in looting, erected burning barricades, and confronted law enforcement officials. The deceased was discovered by police responding to looting reports at a shopping centre in Robert. He was pronounced dead at the hospital, leading to an investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death.
The unrest is rooted in enduring grievances among residents of France’s overseas territories regarding the elevated cost of living. Food prices in Martinique are reported to exceed those in mainland France by 40%.
The Assembly for the Protection of Afro-Caribbean Peoples and Resources (RPPRAC) launched protests in early September, calling for the alignment of food prices with those on the mainland.
Authorities had previously implemented a nighttime curfew in various neighborhoods of Fort-de-France and Lamentin, but this measure has since been rescinded.
