thanks you EDB for this wonderful post. Believe me, we appreciate your support.
and trying to explain to others on this board is just simply a lost cause so I will no longer do that.

Kim, in answer you your question, it is very complicated. Let me start by saying that basically it is a situation of colonial rules and outdated laws still prevailing on the French side. it is years and years of frustration by local French st martiners.who have seen metropolitan french come in and basically try to take over everything.
The local french government seems to be hand in hand with the big boys and not representing the needs of the locals.
What sparked this recent protests was implementation of new zoning laws..
I don't pretend to understand all of the issues in these new zoning laws but I know it involves moving back of land and structures 80 meters from the seashore. This means people lose their land with no or very little compensation .
As an example, Pat at Le Galion that has been there for the last 35 years and it is a huge tourist spot on the island. four months ago, he was given notice to pack his bags and leave from the French government! The butterfly farm in Le Galion the same! . The word is that these facilities would then be taken over by government and their "big: investors"
Other properties owned for generations by old families are now being threatened too. government says they don't own the land but they can buy the land from the government if they want.... generations of families born and raised on the land, yearly taxes paid to the government..now they don't own it and have to buy it from government?


A friend of mine whose family is an old old french family. They own property on the French side and have been here for generations. He says this:

"Why are the roads being blocked on the French side, it is very simple, because the local population, just had ENOUGH of the below!
(PLU)
1. new zoning plan that they are trying to pass during the month of October, areas that should be able to develop in the future and being turned into Green Zones, meaning that you cannot even do Agriculture!
2. Same PLU, buildings allow in the new one that can be built up to four floors! Can you image this in Orient Bay and other beach front areas on the island?
3. Areas that should be able to build hotels or other tourists oriented projects, low cost housing are being built!
4. And much more issues, that are just not right for the island!
(Domain Land)
1. Land that has been claimed by the state, around the shore front areas! (+/- 80Meters inland from the sea)
2. People like my grandparents, built homes on that land, before this “law” ever went into effect and today we still do not own the land.
3. You cannot get a loan to restore or use the house as a guarantee to a bank to restore it or even buy or build something new, because you do not OWN the land.
4. The younger generation cannot get a loan from a bank. to start or expand a business, because they have no “guarantees” to give the bank.
5. We have been paying taxes every year on land which they claim is not ours, so if it is not ours, why do we pay taxes?
6. Old homes with beautiful architecture cannot be restored to it’s original beauty, because the families cannot get a loan, or that they are in a “succession” with other members of the family and if just ONE person in that family decides NOT to regulate the succession, it stays that way in French law!
If you were living on an island or anywhere in the world and OWN property that your grand parents have built over 200 years ago, have been paying taxes on that property every year and now the government tells you that you can "officially" own it, by buying it from them for 30 -55 euros per square meter depending on the location, what would you do? That is happening in Grand Case, Marigot, Sandy Ground, French Quarter and other areas on the island! The new zoning laws has been presented to the public during the month of October and certain areas, they are changing to zoning laws to be able to build up to 4 stories high and other areas "green zone", where you should be able to build! The island is being blocked, not only for our benefit, but also for you the tourist that come here and our future generations!"

so as you can see, the frustration on the part of the local people on the French side s VERY high.
I do not pretend to understand all the issues but this is the gist of it. I am sure there are some pros to the new zoning plan and I would assume compromises have to be worked out. But you cannot implement new laws by just stepping over and on the people without involving them in the process.

The agreement that was signed after the protests is an agreement to stop the implementation of these things, and discuss further with community councils and start a new public information process. But it took a massive road blockage to reach that agreement before government listened.
The people did not take to the streets frivolously or lightly.