" The 52-year-old Indigenous Kanak - who gave his name as Mike - spoke from a roadblock just north of New Caledonia's capital last week, shortly before the visit of France's president, Emmanuel Macron, to the Pacific territory that has been paralysed by violent protests.
The demonstrations began on 13 May, sparked by voting reforms proposed by the French parliament. Looting, arson and clashes have left at least seven dead, hundreds injured and widespread damage. The unrest comes amid concerns over inequality and longstanding efforts in New Caledonia to secure independence.
During Macron's rushed visit, he sought meetings across the political divide and acknowledged that inequalities had widened, but his language was revealing. "The return of republican order," Macron said, "is the priority." He left New Caledonia after 18 hours, promising that reforms that would give voting rights to tens of thousands of non-Indigenous residents would not be pushed through, but would be reviewed in a month.
On the roadblocks, protesters say a delay is not enough, and that the reforms should be withdrawn. "The statements of president Macron are disappointing," said a 51-year-old Kanak last Friday, from a roadblock.
Denne historien er fra May 31, 2024-utgaven av The Guardian Weekly.
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Denne historien er fra May 31, 2024-utgaven av The Guardian Weekly.
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Starlink's conquest of the Amazon leaves Brazil in a dilemma
The helicopter swooped into one of the most inaccessible corners of the Amazon rainforest. Brazilian special forces commandos leaped from it into the caiman-inhabited waters below.
Dalai Lama's mountain town feels the strain of tourist boom
SUVs and saloon cars pass slowly along McLeod Ganj's narrow one-way Jogiwara Road, blaring horns at pedestrians and scooter riders and playing loud music.
'I am all the world' The brutal rule of a West Bank settler
Palestinians tell ofblacklisted Yakov's reign across the Jabal Salman valley and heisjust one of many violent bosses
Stormy waters New flashpoint emerges in South China Sea dispute
Hopes that tensions in the South China Sea might ease have been short lived.
'Justice delayed' Why trust in public inquiries to bring closure is fading
After the final report of the Grenfell fire inquiry was published, Hisam Choucair, who lost six family members in the blaze, said: \"We did not ask for this inquiry... It's delayed the justice my family deserves.\"
Celeriac soup with almond pangrattato
I'm not ashamed to say that as soon as September hits, my stick blender comes out. Just as I embrace salads when the clocks go forward in the UK, I wholeheartedly throw myself into soup season once the summer holidays end. Autumn is approaching in the northern hemisphere and I'm ready with my ladle. Celeriac is one of my favourite soup heroes, because it gives the creamiest, silkiest finish with little effort. You don't have to make the almond pangrattato, but it is a wonderful addition.
Are smoke signals telling me to make an oil change in the kitchen?
Should you that is, not can you) cook with extra-virgin olive oil? Antonio, Atlanta, Georgia, US
Going underground
A darkly humorous encounter between an American spy-cop and the members ofan eco-commune she is hired to infiltrate
All work and no play
Hard Graft, a powerfulnew London exhibition, focuses onworkers’ exploitation, from the ruined hands ofa washerwoman to mothers forced to sell their bodies
What the princess and the shaman tell us about hereditary privilege
It should have been an Instagram-perfect wedding image, but it turned out to be something more embarrassing.
