TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums St. Maarten - St. Martin Protests on the French side again?

Apparently there are protests on the French side again today? Anyone have any info?

What's new. Seems like a weekly occurrence.

We drove from Cupecoy to Grand Case today, via the Causeway and Marigot, round trip. No problems except slow traffic through Marigot.

Marigot was definitely backed up this morning but was clear this afternoon.

So, there was just traffic, or were there protests?

https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islands/two-cars-set-on-fire-in-oyster-pond-thursday

Two cars were set on fire in Oyster Pond and a Molotov was thrown into a restaurant...

Wow! A Molotov cocktail thrown into a restaurant and two cars burned at a private residence in Oyster Pond. If linked, it sounds like someone with a grudge and a screw loose, who doesn't care who they might injure. Crazy! Hopefully it was after hours at the restaurant, not when customers were present! Hope they find whoever was responsible.

I didn't see any protesting. Several were surmising it was Black Friday traffic.

From that article "He added the movement’s next “drastic” action will be on the economy. “We are asking the general population of the North side to make sure they have food in reserve. If there comes a time you can no longer shop on the North side deviate to the South side. When injustice becomes law then resistance is duty.” What the h*ll does that mean?????????

That is a very good question.

I still want to know what restaurant had a Molotov “cocktail” thrown into it.

I'd like to know the name of the restaurant affected, too. Also, if one of the protest leaders named is the same Cédrick of Orient Beach fame, I am very disappointed that he is leading an anti-vaccine, anti-mask protest, as the article seems to suggest. If in fact that is the case, we will not be patronizing his location, since it would indicate to us that he has little regard for the health and safety of his customers. SMH.

The other situation in Oyster Pond sounds like some kind of a personal grudge, but the restaurant one is concerning, for sure. Yes, that is the same Cedrick, who rents chairs at Orient.

I expect more protests in the future for a multitude of different reasons. Seems to be the thing to do there.

There was a bicycle race on the French side today as well. Headed to breakfast at Croissant Royal via the causeway and had to double back through the lowlands. Was behind a chase car and a group of cyclists on the way back, but no biggie. They turned around and headed back at the border. That said, the techno music festival going on tonight at El Zafiro literally has the walls shaking here at BSV. Hope they wrap it up soon..was up at 3 am to catch our flight.

Well..they (el zafiro) put on a great fireworks display, so I feel better about the whole deal now.

"techno music?"" That's horrible. Hopefully that was a one off.

It was Carol..did a little research to see if it was going to be an every Sunday thing. Just a one shot deal.

Thank goodness!! enjoy !

More fires set this morning, and barricades, but gendarmes removed the barricades and fire department put out the fire. Link

This sh*t just keeps cropping up. Unbelievable.

Le Pélican Saint-Martin

·
Barricades removed by the gendarmes
"Since 3 a.m. we've been fighting against a group of about thirty individuals setting up barricades in Marigot."
The roads are usable, but the Bellevue border axis is covered with stones. "There is only one barricade at the Sandy Ground level," the gendarmerie says. Law enforcement officers fired fireworks.

https://www.facebook.com/LePelicanjournal/photos/a.860036410682463/4868937769792287/

The SXM resistance movement says it is satisfied with the "information and discussion meeting" which was held on Friday at the Agrément roundabout. "The weather has not brought us despair because all the wars take place in the mud and also in the rain", comments the movement which remains mobilized.

"The state is doing everything in its power to inject mass so we will also do what it takes to take you out of your comfort zone by making the general public aware that many people are suspended without pay from their work because they refuse to be guinea pigs, ”he says.

The members of SXM resistance are already thinking about another demonstration. "Our next drastic action will be the economy, so we are asking the general population of the north to stock up on food," says Jean Barry Hodge, member of the movement. And to warn: "If there comes a time when you can no longer do your shopping on the north side, deviate to the south side. When injustice becomes law then resistance is a duty.

https://www.faxinfo.fr/sxm-resistan...7LcZx7HPAc1ftEzvFEv4p7NVD8KPfU0oxxh2ug9M

And just now: e Pélican Saint-Martin
·
Bad access to Sandy Ground
According to our information, traffic between Marigot and Sandy Ground is being controlled by the police station at the cemetery level. Carcasses on fire are also reported at Nettle Bay.

Obviously "carcasses" in that last line is a bad translation. Regardless, sounds like more problems today.

Yes, "carcasse" in French can be similar to the equivalent "carcass" in English, but can also have a broader context, such as the burned-out shell of a car, which I suspect is what was intended in this situation.

I figured that's what it meant.

My sympathies to those trying to enjoy a hassle-free St. Martin vacation. And of course, to the people on the French side having to deal with all this and on such a regular basis.

I watch the French national news most every night on my Dish Network feed. I hope that St Martin does not go the way of Guadeloupe - total anarchy, and mostly, it seems, as a result of the vaccine mandate. Madness!
Still hoping to get to SXM for a week in March 2022.

Protests Intensify

https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islan...cted-in-baie-nettle-marigot-sandy-ground

Must be doing just fabulous things for the local economy via the tourism industry, not to mention the residential real estate market.

I owned a home on the Dutch side for about 10 years until 2004 and was glad that I was able to sell it at a decent price and leave the Island. I gave some thought at one point to staying there and buying on the French side, but decided against it for other reasons, but as a general matter, the proclivity of the French to go on strike for just about any reason was part of what motivated me. Protest, rebellion, and just general disruption are all elements of the Zeitgeist there.

Not sure why that link isn't working. Link

We are on the island. Several cars set on fire in the morning on the north end of Marigot near the last roundabout. Smoke visible late afternoon in nettle bay from our villa above Happy Bay. Traffic into Marigot yesterday morning was slightly worse than the day before, but not a big deal. Maybe we got lucky, but not enough reason to avoid the area, let alone postponing travel......

I like the "I appeal to reason and to everyone's positive attitude"....obviously neither exists

Typically, we stay in Orient and spend all of our time either there or Happy Bay. As long as we can get between those two locations and then to the airport, it sounds like the protests wouldn't be too disruptive. I'm just concerned about it escalating further.

I heard it was Mezza Luna.

Thank you GaKaye. Does anyone know if there were any injuries or any damage to the restaurant?

Unrest continued overnight and seems to be escalating. Link

This is just crazy.

I agree. Peaceful protests are one thing, but this is nuts. If they continue down this path, they will ultimately only harm themselves. The last thing a tourist destination wants is to be seen as "unsafe". If the tourists stop coming or the cruise ships sail on by, the money that drives most of the economy will dry up. If they think they are hard up or oppressed now, they haven't seen anything.

Visitors have lots of other choices. They want to feel safe and they want to be able to relax and enjoy their vacation time. Those fomenting the unrest really need to study the hard lessons learned by the Jamaicans in the 1970s, when political unrest and violence significantly decimated its tourism industry. It took at least a decade to recover. Let's hope all the parties figure out what is in everyone's best interests!

You are correct. Haiti suffered the same as well and never recovered. The French side needs to get this under control and quickly but it also impacts the entire island, especially with regard to cruise ships.

Tourism has to be down in some major US cities that are allowing the same to happen as well.