ALBAWABA - Three people were killed as they participated in protests in New Caledonia on Wednesday, as unrest raged and stores and schools remained closed following France's approval of changes to voting procedures on the Pacific island.
Rioting erupted last week before legislators in Paris voted on a plan allowing French people who have resided in New Caledonia for ten years to vote in provincial elections, which some local leaders believe will dilute the Kanak vote.
Protests over the regulations became violent on Monday night, with firearms fired at security personnel, vehicles set ablaze, and shops looted in the worst unrest the French overseas territory has seen since the 1980s.
According to French officials, one person was fatally shot in an industrial zone. According to the high commissioner, Louis Le Franc, the shot was fired "from someone who probably was defending himself" rather than by police.
In response, officials mobilized a large security force, implemented a curfew, prohibited public meetings, and shuttered the main airport. That curfew has been extended till Thursday.
French High Commission said on Wednesday morning that "More than 130 arrests have been made and several dozen rioters have been taken into custody and will be brought before the courts,".
France considered a law that would extend voting eligibility in local elections to French nationals who have resided in New Caledonia for more than ten years, a move critics believe will marginalize Indigenous people. Following prolonged debates, the National Assembly in Paris approved the amendment with 351 votes to 153.
