After 3 months of revolt against the high cost of living initiated by
the RPPRAC, the judicial harassment against the "R" (1) and theactivists closest to the association reinforces the police repression.
---- After more than 3 months of peaceful demonstrations, roadblocks or
looting (2), and while Rodrigue Petitot, known as the "R", was
celebrated in Paris by the West Indians as well as by the Reunionese,
Guyanese, Kanaks, etc., the new Minister of Overseas Territories, F.N.
Buffet, flew out for a tour from November 11 to 14 in Martinique. During
his press conference, after meeting the Prefect, local elected
officials, employers and unions, the minister will praise the benefits
of the National Union, and the protocol of "objectives and means" signed
on October 16, 2024 by the bosses of large-scale distribution and the
local bourgeoisie. An agreement reached after a few round tables between
responsible partners, and supposed to put out the fire of the 2 months
of revolt. An agreement refused by the representatives of the RPPRAC and
designated by the population as "a discount protocol". Indeed, where the
demonstrators and the population demanded the indexation of prices on
those of France (40% cheaper), there is only a 20% drop concerning only
6,000 products out of the 40,000 displayed. And besides the fact that
the differential reduction will be filled by the State and taxes, this
agreement does not in any way involve the bosses of the major brands who
are not forced to respect it by any measure of constraint.
During the minister's stay in Martinique, for the well-being of the
local bourgeoisie and the serenity of all partners, the prosecutor took
care to neutralize members of the RPPRAC.
The leaders of the movement have repeatedly requested an interview with
the minister. Tired and without response, its representatives, activists
and demonstrators therefore invited themselves on November 11, without
violence as evidenced by numerous videos, to the prefectural residence.
The gates were open and the many police officers remained without
reaction at the entrance of a delegation. New refusal by the prefect and
the minister to receive them. For this action, their leader will be
imprisoned, and released only on November 14, the day of the departure
of the government representative, but with a new summons, the very next
day before the court of Fort de France. Three other officials, including
the treasurer of the RPPRAC, will also be arrested. Regular searches and
forceful arrests, without there having been any prior summons against
them. As well as their President, they are accused of "invasion of
privacy and attempted intimidation". Their lawyers denounce these
procedures and the instrumentalization of justice by the government, in
order to discredit the initiators of the movement against the high cost
of living and, through these methods and examples, to scare the
population in revolt alongside them. A state repression which also
embarrasses and divides some of the local elected officials, who on the
contrary want appeasement measures because they are engaged and
confronted, on the ground on a daily basis, with the anger of the
population. On November 15, Rodrigue Petitot, released the day before,
was again placed in police custody and tried in immediate appearance, on
the grounds of intimidation towards local elected officials, incitement
to violence and hatred via his social networks. He was sentenced to a
10-month prison sentence with an electronic bracelet, a ban on leaving
his home from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m., a ban on approaching the Prefect or the
vicinity of the prefecture and must report to the police station once a
week. Two cases in two weeks concerned the leader of the RPPRAC with a
previous conviction in correctional court.
Retried on December 5, R. Petitot is accused this time of trespassing at
home, or rather in the prefectural residence, during the visit of the
Minister of Overseas Territories and for his remarks: "We are going to
attack you, we are going to do a major clean-up, from the outside as
well as the inside". Remarks that are incriminated by the State justice
system and the complaint of the Prefect. He is found guilty while the
association of mayors of the island claims not to have filed any complaint.
Initially placed in pre-trial detention and under judicial supervision,
after an appeal by the Fort de France prosecutor's office, "R" will
remain imprisoned until his trial on January 21, 2025. When the new
verdict was announced and he was placed in detention until January 21,
the lawyers denounced the political exploitation of the trial,
considering R. Petitot a political prisoner. "It is a court decision
ordered perhaps by political motives," his lawyer castigated. As for
the incitement to hatred, which some characterize as racial, it is only
the denunciation of civil servants (white) appointed by the State and of
the Békés (also white) descendants and heirs of the slave traders
(always white) and masters of the distribution circuits, such as that of
the group of B. Hayot. The reality in these confetti of the empire: the
Antilles, Kanaky, Mayotte... is that the colonial State feeds and
maintains racism for its interests. An official racism that benefits the
exploiters and the owners and despoils the populations. Let us recall
that from the beginning the republican State tried to crush this revolt
by brutal repression, by establishing a curfew, by arresting leaders or
rioters (214 people arrested, 92 received a criminal response including
16 imprisoned), by banning demonstrations, by the brutal intervention of
colonial forces: special forces, RAID, CRS including the famous CRS 8,
the deployment of armored vehicles... etc. A scenario already tested in
other colonies such as Mayotte, but especially in Kanaky during the
revolt of the population and against the activists and leaders of the
CCAT (3) victims of police and judicial relentlessness which led to the
deportation of some to French prisons.
Silencing by all means is therefore the response of the State which
watches over its own interests and the protection of private property.
As always, he remains protective and benevolent with the rich
capitalists concerned about their profits, but does not care about the
immediate concerns of the population and workers.
After the violent police interventions, now comes the time of repression
and judicial harassment against the participants in the movement.
Arrested several times and then released, it seems that the leader of
the movement against the high cost of living has become the target to be
neutralized, for example, by the defenders of order.
However, if it is true that the movement has lost intensity, hundreds of
people were present at the hearings and outside the court. They chanted:
"Wouj! Wouj! Wouj!" -Red! Red! Red! - the color of their unity, their
revolt and their hope.
And if the movement seems to be running out of steam, let us have no
doubt that the embers will flare up again.
Decaen 7/12/2024.
Notes
1... leader of the movement against the high cost of living and
president of the RPPRAC (Rally for the Protection of the People and
Afro-Caribbean Resources)
2... read C.A, No. 344, Martinique: high cost of living and anger. C.A,
No. 345, Martinique: anger persists.
3... Field Action Coordination Unit. Created in November 2023. Is more
of a group of independence activists than an organization. Also read on
- la Kanaky - C.A No. 344 of November and No. 345 of December.
https://oclibertaire.lautre.net/spip.php?article4338
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