The situation on the French side has become untenable. Bands of youngsters are blocking roads, burning cars, setting bushfires, damaging property, looting, as well as attacking authorities and even civilians with rocks, bottles, fireworks and/or Molotov cocktails.
Their actions not openly supported by demonstrating collectives threaten to undermine the still frail recovery of the tourism economy that provides for the livelihood of practically every inhabitant, after 18 months of severe coronavirus-related crisis. Cruise lines restricting curated tours to the northern part of the island and advising free-roaming passengers against going there could be just the beginning.
One should not be surprised that already prospective visitors planning a stay in St. Maarten expressed doubts about their future trip on social media. After all, it is very much seen as a two-in-one destination and promoted as such.
Nobody is taking responsibility for these latest social disturbances, which means there are neither clear demands nor parties to negotiate with. The sign placed on a barricade at Sandy Ground Bridge earlier had in any case said “no” to several things including the sanitary pass, the obligation to vaccinate and the – amended – PPRN natural disaster risk-reduction plan.
The main issue also with similar riots in Martinique and Guadeloupe still appears to be mandatory vaccination for medical and other public sector personnel applied throughout France. Reports that some adjustments seem to have been allowed elsewhere in the republic play a role too.
As stated before, requiring frequent testing of workers who under no circumstances will take the injections might be a reasonable compromise. For example, Louis Constant-Fleming Hospital recently announced a 90 per cent vaccination rate among staff, which means it concerns just 10 per cent.
Tests have gone down in price and between the Ministry of Overseas Territories in Paris, regional health authority ARS and the local government it should be possible to offer these free or at least cheap to the employees involved. That will cost money, but so does keeping them at home with salary and possibly having to pay colleagues overtime or hiring others to help do their jobs.
A win-win scenario can perhaps be created this way, because a breakthrough to end the violent protests is badly needed sooner rather than later, in the best general interest of the entire population.
