A general strike has been called in Martinique on Monday, November 22, as they joined the neighbouring French overseas territory of Guadeloupe in calling for an end to obligatory vaccination for health workers but also for wage rises and other social grievances.
Schools have been closed and barricades have been erected on the streets and pharmacies trashed as days of rioting against measures to curb the spread of COVID-19 that has killed more than 1, 500 people on both islands, have brought normal routines to a standstill.
Official figures show that in Martinique there has been 703 deaths and 44,429 positive cases linked to the virus, while Guadeloupe has recorded 822 deaths and 54,854 infections.
The French administration of Paris has sent elite police and counter-terrorism officers to Guadeloupe over the weekend in a bid to quell the violence.
Vaccination rates in France’s overseas territories, in the Caribbean, Indian Ocean and the Pacific, have generally been far lower than those on the mainland and there has been repeated unrest over anti-virus measures.
Protests in Guadeloupe broke out after an announcement that COVID-19 vaccines would be mandatory for all healthcare workers. On Sunday, November 20, police arrested 38 people after curfew violators looted and torched shops and pharmacies, and two security forces were injured.
