Guadeloupe: Demonstrators angry over COVID rules occupy the legislature | Coronavirus pandemic News

Compulsory blows to health workers sparked a wave of protests on the French Caribbean island, and drew criticism from Paris.

Demonstrators briefly occupied the Guadeloupe regional legislature, which was outraged by the coronary antivirus restrictions and compulsory vaccination rules, citing a halt to negotiations with Paris. their complaints About the management of the French Caribbean island.

Demonstrators gathered for Thursday for the first time in the regional council discussion room. The councilors were able to leave quietly.

They stayed for several nights and decided to stay until Friday, but due to Christmas, they started leaving the chamber at 13:00 local time (17:00 GMT).

They plan to meet again on Monday to prepare for a new action next week, union leader Elie Domota and head of the LKP association told AFP news agency.

Regional Council President Ary Chalus agreed to hold a meeting with some representatives of the protesters, the council also tweeted after Thursday’s attack.

Officials Guadeloupe and Paris he denounced the protest as an unacceptable threat to a democratically elected body.

“It does not justify any request to interfere with the proper functioning of the plenary session of the elected assembly,” French Overseas Minister Sebastien Lecornu wrote on Twitter.

The unions and a group calling for an anti-exploitation group want to suspend the French government’s measure to suspend health workers without pay. Unless they are vaccinated against COVID-19.

Inside the town hall, protesters put up a banner saying “no to compulsory vaccinations, no to health passages,” according to images posted online by local authorities. A Christmas tree was overturned.

Protesters against the Guadalupe mandate take over government buildings. pic.twitter.com/sd4QGp91Dd

– Aaron Ginn (@aginnt) December 23, 2021

Demonstrators in Guadeloupe They are also looking for clean water, pensions and salary increases and better opportunities for more job opportunities, as COVID-related demonstrations have long since raised complaints.

They want to negotiate with Paris about the crisis, but so far the authorities have stated that there can be no dialogue while these protests take place.

Coronavirus vaccination rates per year French Caribbean territories They are much smaller than those in mainland France, and there is concern that a new wave of infections associated with the rapidly spreading Omicron variant could lead to serious problems.

Vaccines are mandatory for all French health workers and require a “health gateway” to access many French restaurants and places.

The measures have met with strong opposition Guadeloupe and Martinique, Reflecting long-standing frustrations over inequality on the French mainland.

The crisis halted Guadeloupe last month when protesters set up barricades around major roads. France he sent dozens of more special forces troops to the island after riots, looting and shootings at police in protest of COVID-19 measures.

Health workers who do not want to be vaccinated will be suspended from December 31, but may be helped to transition to other jobs.

One-third of the population of Guadeloupe lives below the poverty line, and the cost of living is higher than in the French mainland. Water supply has been a serious problem in recent years due to obsolete pipes.

Anger over France’s handling of a toxic pesticide in banana fields in the Caribbean has also sparked mistrust in the government’s COVID-19 vaccination policies, along with misinformation shared by WhatsApp or Telegram groups.