Pro-independence demonstrators have rekindled violent protests throughout New Caledonia following the detention of seven indigenous leaders and activists in mainland France. The High Commission of the Republic in New Caledonia made the announcement on Monday, June 24. According to the announcement, protesters torched the municipal police station in Dumbéa, along with police and private vehicles in neighboring regions. Fire extinguishing crews were quick to control a blaze at the Koumac town hall, while buildings in Paita, Nouméa, and the islands of Pins and Maré also faced attacks. Local police in Maré reportedly experienced assaults by protestors.
Christian Tein, the leader of the pro-independence group CCAT (Field Action Coordinating Cell), is among the detained, having voluntarily turned himself in to police custody on June 19. This action followed a police roundup that resulted in 11 arrests. The activist leaders, including Tein, have mobilized the indigenous population of New Caledonia against a proposed constitutional amendment by France’s National Assembly. The amendment aims to enfranchise French residents who have lived in New Caledonia for at least 10 years to vote in provincial elections, reversing the current electoral restrictions under the 1998 Nouméa Accord. Protesters argue that such an amendment would dilute indigenous voting power and hinder efforts toward New Caledonia’s independence.
In a press release issued Monday evening, the French High Commission indicated that hostilities and disturbances to public order remain ongoing, but noted that the situation was starting to stabilize. Following the arrests, the France pro-independence organization Solidarité Kanaky released a statement decrying the police’s actions, stating, “In the current context, the criminalization of CCAT and the searches carried out on the premises of the Union Calédonienne seek to discredit the Kanak independence movement as a whole, at the risk of aggravating a very chaotic situation.”
New Caledonia’s first round of elections is set for June 30, with polling locations expected to be announced shortly.
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