One thousand police arrived in New Caledonia from France and streets were relatively calm, the French High Commission said yesterday, but roads were blocked and the airport remained shut, stranding tourists on the Pacific island after a week of riots.
The activist group organizing the protests in the French-ruled territory, Field Action Co-ordination Cell (CCAT), said in a statement that blockades would continue, urging protesters to remain peaceful.
Road blocks were making it difficult to supply food to stores in several areas and provide secure travel for medical staff, New Caledonia government officials said.
Photo: AFP
“It’s important to point out that the problem is not so much a lack of staff, medical and food supplies, but more importantly an access problem,” a government statement said.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said “the situation there is deeply concerning,” after a night when there was fire and looting.
French High Commissioner of the Republic in New Caledonia Louis le Franc on Sunday evening said that a police operation to regain control of the road from the capital, Noumea, to the international airport would take several days.
Gendarmes had dismantled 76 road blocks, the French High Commission said yesterday.
Australian Minister for Defence Richard Marles said officials were speaking to their French counterparts about “how they are progressing in terms of managing law and order within Noumea, and if there is any need for any kind of airlift from Australia.”
Albanese earlier told Australian Broadcasting Corp radio that Australia had been seeking approval from French authorities for two days to send an evacuation flight to New Caledonia to pick up tourists stranded in hotels.
There are about 3,200 people stuck waiting to leave or enter New Caledonia as commercial flights have been canceled due to the unrest that broke out last week, the local government said.
Protests erupted last week sparked by anger among indigenous Kanak people over a constitutional amendment approved in France that would change who is allowed to participate in elections, which local leaders fear would dilute the Kanak vote.
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