Long-forbidden French anti-riot force sent to Martinique as thousands defy bans on protests

MEXICO CITY — France has sent a group of special anti-riot police that's been banned for 65 years to the French Caribbean island of Martinique, where protesters have gathered despite the government barring demonstrations in parts of the island.

The force arrived this weekend after the local representative of France’s central government in its overseas territory, said in a statement that protests were forbidden in the municipalities of Fort-de-France, Le Lamentin, Ducos and Le Robert until Monday. The government also issued a curfew.

The restrictions came after violent protests broke out on the island last week over the high cost of living, with gunfire injuring at least six police officers and one civilian. Police launched tear gas and government officials said several stores were also looted.

Officials said the bans were meant "to put an end to the violence and damage committed at gatherings, as well as to the numerous obstacles to daily life and freedom of movement that penalize the entire population, particularly at weekends.”

But the measure was met by defiance by many on the island, with massive peaceful protests breaking out Saturday night. Videos from local media show crowds of thousands peacefully walking along highways overnight banging on drums and waiving flags.

As protests wound on without violence, the force of French anti-riot police arrived on the island, and were staying at a hotel in Fort-de-France on Sunday. It wasn't immediately clear how many were sent.

The elite riot police, known as the Companies for Republican Security, were banned in the French territory following bloody riots in December 1959. The unit had been accused of using disproportionate force against protesters, ending in the deaths of a number of young demonstrators. The force is rarely deployed in French territories in the Caribbean, but was called on during riots and strikes in Guadeloupe in 2009.

Martinique's leaders requested the forces amid the recent protests in an historic shift for the island, and one met with a sharp rejection by some in the territory.

Béatrice Bellay, a representative of the socialist party on the island, blasted the move, saying: “Martinique is not in a civil war, it is a social war." She called for an “open and transparent dialogue” between protesters and the government.

“This measure ... only serves to aggravate tensions and distract attention from the legitimate demands of the people of Martinique,” she wrote in a statement Sunday.