French Prosecutor Says Investigating Shots Fired At Police During Protests In Martinique

The Fort-de-France prosecutor's office has opened an investigation after law enforcement and firefighters were targeted by gunfire on Monday night in the French Caribbean island of Martinique rocked by chaotic protests over COVID-19 restrictions, Clarisse Taron, the prosecutor of Republic, said on Tuesday

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 24th November, 2021) The Fort-de-France prosecutor's office has opened an investigation after law enforcement and firefighters were targeted by gunfire on Monday night in the French Caribbean island of Martinique rocked by chaotic protests over COVID-19 restrictions, Clarisse Taron, the prosecutor of Republic, said on Tuesday.

"The Fort-de-France prosecutor's office confirms that gunfire targeted the security forces in Fort-de-France on the night of November 22 to 23, 2021. No officers were injured. The case for attempted murder of persons holding public authority has been opened and the investigations are entrusted to the judicial police," Taron said as quoted by French broadcaster BFM tv.

According to the broadcaster, this is the second consecutive night of live gunfire during the anti-COVID-19 restrictions protests. The situation in the department is still tense with more than 1,300 people protesting on the streets, BFMTV reported.

Martinique is not the only French overseas department shaken by COVID-19 protests. French President Emmanuel Macron said on Monday that the situation in another French overseas department of Guadeloupe, where clashes occurred during protests against sanitary measures and mandatory vaccinations, is "very explosive.

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Earlier on Monday, 40 people were detained as a result of outbreaks of violence in Guadeloupe, in which two police officers were injured. According to the prefecture, groups of people, many of whom were armed, tried to loot and smash shops in the towns of the region overnight Sunday. Burning barriers were erected on the streets.

In August, French authorities enhanced lockdown measures in some overseas territories over a rise in hospitalizations caused by the spread of the Delta coronavirus variant, known to be more contagious.

Since August 9, sanitary passes in France are mandatory for visiting cafes, restaurants, as well as for flights and trips on long-distance trains. The document represents for the bearer evidence of full cycle of vaccination against COVID-19, the presence of a negative test for coronavirus infection or confirmation of having recovered from COVID-19.