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.

DAILY HERALD ARTICLE

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.

I wonder if it's actually French side working residents and business owners doing the blockades, setting fires and trashing businesses OR is it the unemployed scooter crew that now have a "reason" to let it all hang out. I am leaning toward the latter....

LINK

Probably like in the US, bands/gangs of youth and those who are unemployed or choose NOT to work doing the damage.

Supposed to go to the Loterie Farm today, but I think we’re going to punt. We were going to stop at Croissant Royal on the way, so would have taken the Sandy Ground route. We have friends with us, and as such I feel responsible for their safety. Glad I stopped in for a quick read, thanks for the info everyone.

Went to Orient yesterday via the causeway, and got there in record time..nice day at Kon Tiki.

So there are not any fixable goals to stop the chaos. So much for issues as a reason for protest. I feel bad for those who are really sincere in trying to get their point across to the Government about their problems.

This is not a protest. It is just the scooter crowd showing their true colors and I really can't see what would change their attitudes. If it is jobs then they are destroying that potential and they are creating a history that will stick in the minds of potential visitors for a long time....the French side will be known as the side that is unpredictable and potentially unsafe.

Very well stated.

JD--I posted that link yesterday. And I agree, I don't think this is people with a legitimate grievance. This is young thugs, who have no jobs because they don't want to work, too much easier to hang out on their scooters and commit the occasional robbery for spending money. Working people with a legitimate grievance don't throw Molotov cocktails at gendarmes.

gomer--I don't blame you. No WAY I would be going through Sandy Ground these days..

Sorry, I guess I missed it. You are spot on with your assessment of the situation. I would avoid the French side at all cost of I were on the island.

Nettle Bay just now.

https://www.facebook.com/LePelicanjournal/photos/a.860036410682463/4876434495709281/

What a Sh+T show.

I've looked at Google Maps, but I wanted to confirm here that there is a way to get from the airport to Orient without going through the areas with the protests/unrest. Are these areas possible to avoid?

Oh my god...

dvesc--The most reliable way is the Causeway to Marigot, through Grand Case to Orient. But, there was a protest in Marigot last weekend, which was poorly attended because of rain. Traffic was slow, but moving. Definitely do NOT go via Sandy Ground or via French Quarter (or Orleans) and also avoid Nettle Bay.

If I have to avoid Marigot, Sandy Ground and Orleans why not avoid the French side altogether?

Guadeloupe and Martinique have swat teams and Special police from France being sent to control the unrest. Does St. Martin want this kind of action where real bullets are flying?

Thank you. The more I'm seeing this, the more concerned I get. It's to the point now that I'm looking at accommodations in Simpson Bay instead of Orient.

A few of them sleeping in body bags might stop some of this behavior.

If this keeps up more people will be looking into accommodations on the Dutch side instead of French side. Better book sooner than later.

dvesc--If you are able to cancel your other booking without losing a lot of money, that's what I personally would do, if you can find someplace you like on the Dutch side.

Remember cash for clunkers? Why not offer money for these scooters not worthy. No questions asked just turn it in for cash.
Crush all these scooters and do not allow anymore imported scooters on SXM.

"Why not offer money for these scooters not worthy. "
Huh?

Carol, we can cancel our AirBnB without penalty until Dec. 11, so it's still possible to make a change. The next step will be finding a place that is still available on the Dutch Side.

Now they are throwing paintballs at the Gendarmes. As they say "Inmates are in charge of the prison".
LINK

...actually, I think it is "inmates in charge of the ASYLUM"

dvesc--OK, I would do that, at this point.

Yep.

We are looking forward to our vacation next month in Orient, mainly because it could be our last one (at least for a while). We go to St. Martin primarily for the French side. Two years ago, in order to leave Orient and go to the airport we had to take a small boat from Anse Marcel because the road was blocked. Since then things have gotten worse. It hurts to say this, having gone there since '85 on our honeymoon. But having to worry about getting around is no vacation.

https://www.facebook.com/LePelicanjournal/photos/a.860036410682463/4877540472265350/

https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islan...-under-siege-as-gendarmes-battle-rioters

Herald link already posted.

Curfew in place for Sandy Ground. Link

That was only for last night but "can be renewed if necessary"

I expect that it will be renewed, from day to day.

And bringing in "human and material resources".

Thank God we cancelled our Jan vacation, this has escalated out of control

We're here, and have had no problem at all, except for going through Marigot on Black Friday. We've been to Grand Case, Friars, and Orient, multiple times without issue.

Georgia-I am glad that you have had no issues that have affected your vacation. But again, the problems on that Friday were NOT related to Black Friday sales at all. (I don't know, if there even such a thing as Black Friday on SXM??) There were protests that day, just not as big as they would have been, because of bad weather.

We too are on the island and have had no issues at all, we are staying in Orient Village area but have made numerous trips to the Dutch side. Have used Oyster pond route, French quarter and Marigot all are fine. Have had no reason to go through Sandy Ground and it’s never been my route of choice. And Carol, we have seen adds for Black Friday so it is a thing even on SXM although probably not to the degree as in the states.

Canuck--OK, I didn't know about Black Friday one way or another, but the fact that there WERE protests on that day was in the Daily Herald..

Carol, there are absolutely black Friday sales here; the paper is full of ads. And the weather was fine that day. I'm not saying there weren't protests, but the shopping traffic could have also been a factor.

Black Friday is a common sales tool in many countries. It is mostly a marketing tool used to gin-up sales. On SXM it is not as organized and marketed as it is in the USA. What is interesting is some resorts use Black Friday to create a sale for deeply discounting rentals. You can also find quite a few jewelry stores having special sales around Black Friday.

Georgia--are you still in SXM? I thought you went home?

Anyway, all I know is that the Herald reported there were protests in Marigot that day and the next..

The protests on Black Friday were mostly at the Agrément roundabout. If people weren't near there then it's unlikely that the saw any protests.

We leave today.

We went to Marigot yesterday for breakfast at Croissant Royale via the causeway with no issues..and then decided to have a go at the return through Sandy Ground and again no issues. Some ugly scenes to be sure, burned out cars especially right by the bridge, and remnants over several other barricades shoved over to the side. Gendarmes very visible..and also very visible in Maho and Simpson Bay areas every night, with patrols every few minutes. Even came back by The Pub a few times. Very welcome and very reassuring versus our experiences back in April/December.

Just found out we had a 4.0 earthquake this morning while we were at breakfast at Yacht Club. Didn't feel a thing, but many are posting they felt it strongly. Was watching the lengthy boat parade..bridge was up a good 20 minutes, and man what a jam it created. We ended up walking down to Medwork to get out return home brain tickle test as traffic was stopped after breakfastand just beginning to move after we finished the covid test.

We've never seen so many super yachts in..Bezos is here, Abramovitch's Eclipse, a very peculiar shaped yacht with a big bulbous bow has been anchored off Beachside the whole 2 weeks we've been here. The airport is running out of tarmac for private jets too. Also saw that the Canadian charters are flying back in..saw Westjet and Sunwing yesterday proudly sporting their Maple Leaf.

6 boats in again on Wednesday, and a bunch yesterday. Navigating through the Sunset/Driftwood area is a challenge..just pack your patience and drive as you would near a playground..folks are on vacation and often step right in front of you. Try to avoid the area when the busses are dropping off in the morning and picking up about 3.

Cheers!

Thanks for that update. We will be back in a month, staying at the La Siesta Condos on Simpson Bay Beach. This will be our first trip back in two years. It sounds like we will have lots of yachts to check out, but the traffic in Simpson Bay Village obviously hasn't improved. We try to avoid heading out (or back) around bridge-opening times.

Both WestJet and Sunwing resumed flights to Sint Maarten in the fall, and Air Canada resumes direct flights December 18th. Just for the record, Sunwing is a charter airline. Air Canada and WestJet are our two main scheduled airlines.

thanks for the update, gomer. Enjoy the rest of your stay!

I guess you have already left for the airport, Georgia. Safe travels.

Isn't Orient Village a "gated community". This should provide some added measure of security from any ambient civil unrest.
Still hope to go down for a week in March 2022.