in Guadeloupe, residents say they are exasperated by the curfew

“The decision was taken too at the last moment.” In this pizzeria in Sainte-Anne (Guadeloupe), it’s past 6 p.m. but the wood-fired oven is still on because Marika was surprised. She learned the news of the curfew on social media. “As soon as I give all our orders I’ll go home, she assures. Our orders are taken in advance, we have to work anyway. We had to warn in advance. “

The prefect of Guadeloupe decided on Friday, November 19 to institute a curfew from 6 p.m. (local time), until 5 a.m. the next day due to “ongoing social movements and acts of vandalism”. Salim and Iris, two tourists also surprised by the prefect’s announcement, hurry to swallow their pizza. “We just arrived half an hour ago, we learned that there was a curfew and there we drove, we found the only open stall where to eat”, says Iris. “It’s a bit short as a deadline, Salim annoys, they know very well that there are also tourists, declaring it at the last moment without warning, without letting people bounce back … “

But apart from this restaurant and a few customers, the streets of Sainte-Anne are almost empty. No more “bokit” vans along the beach, the refreshment stalls, the shops lowered the curtain from 6 pm. But some residents do not plan to come home. “We don’t care about the curfew, we don’t care”, launches a resident of Sainte-Anne who has just left the beach. For his companion, the prefect “could start with dialogue”, he judges.

“All these young people who are in the street, who are idle, do you think they will stay at home? We have thrown oil on the fire. For me, it is a provocation.”

An inhabitant of Sainte-Anne

to franceinfo

Urban violence, fires, looting committed by groups of young people more and more numerous to hold roadblocks on the island pushed the prefect of Guadeloupe to make this decision. “He had no other solution”, concedes Axel, a fifty-something who holds a dam on the Gosier. He regrets that the movement has taken this turn, infiltrated according to him by young people who have nothing to do with it: “These barricades are beyond the control of any organization. It is not a movement of brigands.” However, he does not plan to return home either: “Never. We will never obey a curfew.” A curfew that will remain in effect until the morning of November 23.