Violence broke out on Thursday, January 20, in Guadeloupe where a gendarme was injured with live ammunition in Pointe-à-Pitre and six people arrested, the gendarmerie and the police said. The vital prognosis of the gendarme is not engaged and an investigation has been opened, according to a police source. The public prosecutor is to hold a press conference on Friday.
A week ago, the collective of organizations mobilized once morest the vaccination obligation had called on the whole island to join a day “dead island” and to “to mobilize everywhere, in the street and in front of businesses” .
The call, launched for the anniversary date of the formation in 2009 of the collective Lyannaj Kont Pwofitasyon (LKP, which brings together some fifty organizations), generally little followed, ended up giving rise to several points of tension on the island and some blockages by handfuls of people at the entrance to supermarkets or in front of certain service stations.
An exfiltrated hospital director
At the hospital center of Basse-Terre, “About forty people tried to enter the administrative building”, explained to Agence France-Presse (AFP), Christine Wilhem, director of the hospital. It had to be exfiltrated by the security guards who ensure the protection of the surroundings of the establishment. “We are starting to get used to protecting ourselves”, she quipped.
In the center of the island, demonstrations “unauthorized” according to the prefecture degenerated during operations to maintain order in the town of Abymes, according to the same source which specifies that “the forces of order were taken to task by throwing various projectiles, stones, molotov cocktails, bolts…. ».
On the Canal 10 channel, the trade unionist Gaby Clavier, ex-secretary of the health branch of the UGTG denounced a desire “to prevent us from demonstrating”, as well as “police brutality”, and “gassings”. The protesters were “pushed back several kilometres” according to a police source but erected barricades and obstructed the roads. Helicopter overflights have also taken place.
According to the Pointe-à-Pitre prosecutor’s office, “at least three shots” live ammunition were counted and “at least one store was looted”, when night had just fallen.