A barricade composed of wrecked cars lies across the main road in French Quarter.
MARIGOT--Préfète Anne Laubies appealed for calm last night after Gendarmes came under attack from protestors as they attempted to dismantle a barricade in French Quarter near Belle Plaine last night.
Gendarmes began clearing the main RN7 of barricades and debris from 5:00pm, clearing most of the road until they came to the barricade near Belle Plaine which had been set on fire. Gendarmes were pelted with stones, bottles and other objects and were forced to use tear gas to protect themselves.
The Préfecture indicated the road was still blocked at 7:30pm.
The district of French Quarter, including the around-the-pond area, was entirely blocked off Thursday with barricades as the combined Orient Beach tenants and “Saint Martin Wake-Up” protest entered a second day as the Collectivité studies how it will respond to protestor demands to head off the escalating crisis.
A four-and-a-half hour meeting between a delegation of protestors and Préfète Anne Laubies and Collectivité officials ended Wednesday with no agreement reached. The Communications Department of the Collectivité indicated an answer could not be expected as quickly as Thursday.
Gendarmes dressed in riot gear with helmets and shields had been closely monitoring the situation, but other than attempting to clear the streets of debris, no clashes with protestors were reported earlier in the day.
There was a noticeable increase in tension, however, added to the fact opportunists at the barricades were charging people on foot to pass through for a few dollars. An unconfirmed report suggested tourists had also been harassed to hand over money and if they didn’t were pelted with stones. The Gendarmerie made no mention of any arrests.
The main RN7 running through French Quarter had barricades installed from wrecked cars, while the rest of the road stretching up the small hill and past the church was littered with turned over garbage bins, debris and rocks.
Capitaine Emmanuel Maignan disclosed Gendarmes intervened around 5:00am Thursday morning to prevent barricades being erected at the Agrément roundabout and in French Quarter by the Saint Martin Wake Up movement. He added Gendarmes seen in riot gear were from St. Martin and not from a unit drafted in from Guadeloupe.
District One representative Steven Patrick insisted Thursday’s blockade of French Quarter was not the work of the Orient Beach or Saint Martin Wake-Up protestors but that of the citizens of French Quarter taking matters into their own hands.
“I’m not in control of what is going on but as the representative for this district I’m doing whatever I can do to resolve this problem,” he told reporters earlier in the morning. “The Gendarmes have so far been very careful, not engaging and I think that’s prudent. Because in this community we do have some wild cats and engaging with the Gendarmes could send the wrong message to some. The worst thing that can happen is for someone to get injured or lose their life. We don’t want that. All of this could have been resolved long ago. We just want to be taken seriously and not let this pot of water boil over.”
Patrick reminded that the French side and other French overseas territories are still in a high level security alert situation following the Paris terrorist attacks and therefore the Gendarmerie has unlimited powers to maintain law and order, supported by the State.
The situation on Wednesday saw many tourists inconvenienced by the protest, walking through barriers with luggage attempting to get to the airport or other points on the Dutch side. One disgruntled frequent visitor to St. Martin, Paul Burgdorf, posted a lengthy complaint on Facebook.
“We are currently being held against our will at Orient Beach by a lawless mob due to the blockade of the road heading in both directions,” Burgdorf wrote. “Neighbours missed their planes, friends could not get back to the Dutch side for medicine and tourists were unable to travel to activities and reservations. Local shops were closed as their employees could not get to work.
“Protestors, regardless of the merit of their cause, have decided they can shut down ingress and egress to the Orient Beach community and effectively hold thousands of people hostage. And the worst part is that the government on the French side has had the Gendarmes stand down, and let the mobs rule.
“When a government loses the ability to protect visitors who are the major contributors to the economy and are visiting legally, it is time to question whether French St. Martin has a modern Government or is a third world country with protesters who are immune from the law. Evidently, the protesters have the right to close roads and insult tourists who want to pass. This is not exactly the "Friendly Island."
