A surge of extra military and police in New Caledonia precedes the fourth night of deadly violence, with five dead and hundreds wounded in the archipelago. The French plan to impose new voting rules sparked opposition, leading to unrest in the territory.
Despite a state of emergency calming the situation, fires at a school and two companies persist. The violence, the worst since the 1980s, saw Palm-lined boulevards in Noumea littered with debris, patrolled by armored vehicles, with roadblocks set by indigenous locals.
Additional security forces are being deployed to New Caledonia to quell the unrest, with a ban on TikTok imposed by authorities. The decision to allow long-term outsiders to vote in elections has faced backlash, with accusations of interference from external independence movements.
President Macron aims to push through constitutional changes by June, unless opposing parties in New Caledonia reach a resolution. However, a planned videoconference was canceled, indicating challenges in finding common ground.