Martinique unrest: Nights of fire amid cost of living crisis
In Martinique, a French overseas department, residents have taken to the streets in protest against the high cost of living. There have been reports of store fires and attacks on the gendarmes. Protests have been ongoing on the island since September.
Attacks and fires
On the night from Wednesday to Thursday, shops were set alight, and fires broke out in car parks, including a port facility containing new cars brought to the island. There were clashes with the police and footage of burning barricades and cars being attacked with flares appeared on social media. The losses are significant.
Escalation of protests
The protests in Martinique, which began in September in response to the high cost of living, have turned into street riots. Although the situation had calmed recently, on 7th October, clashes occurred between the gendarmerie and protesters in Le Lamentin, the second-largest city in Martinique. Since then, there have been fires and clashes every night.
Economic and social inequalities
Martinique has previously been the site of similar protests, which, according to the protesters, are caused by economic, ethnic, and social inequalities. Data from the French National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies (Insee) from 2023 indicate that food prices in Martinique, with a population of about 350,000, are 40% higher than in mainland France. Youth unemployment stands at 24% (among those aged 15-29), which is nearly double the rate in mainland France, where it is 13%.
