France security forces in Nouméa ahead of two opposing marches

Security forces reinforcements have been sent from France ahead of two antagonist marches scheduled to take place this Saturday in the capital Nouméa, at the same time and only two streets away one from the other.

One march, called by pro-independence Union Calédonienne party (a component of the pro-independence FLNKS umbrella) and its CCAT (field action group), will be to protest against planned changes to the French Constitution to "unfreeze" New Caledonia's electoral roll by allowing any citizen who has resided in New Caledonia for at least ten years to cast their vote at local elections (for the three Provincial assemblies and the Congress).

The other march was called by pro-France parties Rassemblement and Les Loyalistes who support the change and intend to make their voices heard by French MPs.

The constitutional bill was endorsed by the French Senate on 2 April.

As part of the required process before it is fully endorsed, the constitutional bill must however follow the same process before France's lower House (the National Assembly).

Debates are scheduled on 13 May.

Then both the Senate and the National Assembly will be gathered sometime in June to give the final approval.

This Saturday, both marches also want to make their voices heard in an attempt to impress MPs before the Constitutional Bill goes further.

The pro-France march is scheduled to end at Rue de la Moselle in downtown Nouméa, two streets away from the other pro-independence march, which is planned to stop on the Place des Cocotiers (Coconut square).

At least 20,000 expected

At least twenty thousand participants are estimated to take part.

Security forces reinforcements have been sent from France, with two additional squads (140) of gendarmes, French High Commissioner Louis Le Franc said on Friday.

While acknowledging the "right to demonstrate as a fundamental right", Le Franc, in a release, said it can only be exercised with "respect for public order and freedom of movement".

"No outbreak will be tolerated" and if this was not to be the case, then "the reaction will be steadfast and those responsible will be arrested", he warned.

He also strongly condemned the recent "blockades and violence" and called for everyone's "calm and responsibility" for a "pacific dialogue in New Caledonia".

Tight security to avoid a clash

New Caledonia's Southern Province vice president and member of pro- France party Les Loyalistes, Philippe Blaise, told Radio Rythme Bleu he had been working with security forces to ensure the two opposing marches will not come close at any stage.

"It will not be a long march, because we are aware that there will be families and old people.

"But we are not disclosing the itinerary because we don't want to give bad ideas to people (from the pro-independence side) who would like to come close to our march with banners and whatnot.

"There won't be any speech either. But there will be an important security setup", he reassured.

Earlier this week, security forces intervened to lift roadblocks set up by pro-independence militants near Nouméa, in the village of Saint-Louis, a historic pro-independence stronghold.

The clash involved about fifty security forces against militants.

Long-range shot teargas and stones were exchanged and firearms shots were also heard.

On 28 March, the two opposing sides also held two marches in downtown Nouméa, with tens of thousands of participants.

No incident was reported.

The UC-revived CCAT (Field Actions Coordination Cell, cellule de coordination des actions de terrain), which is again organising Saturday's pro-independence march to oppose the French Constitutional change, earlier this month threatened to boycott this year's planned provincial elections.

CCAT head Christian Tein said they are demanding that the French Constitutional amendment be withdrawn altogether. and that a "dialog mission" be sent from Paris.

"We want to remind (France) will be there, we'll bother them until the end, peacefully", he said.

"Those MPs have decided to kill the Kanak (indigenous) people...this is a programmed extermination so that Kanaks become like (Australia's) Aborigines", he told local media.

"Anyone can cause unrest, but to stop it is another story...now we are on a slippery slope", he added.

War of words, war of images: battle to sway MPs in Paris

Pro-France leader Sonia Backès, during a previous march on 28 March, had also alluded to "causing unrest" from their side and its ability to "make noise" to ensure their voices are heard back in the French Parliament.

"The unrest, it will come from us if someone tries to tread upon us", she lashed out on 28 March.

"We have to make noise, because unfortunately, the key is the image", she said.

"But this little message with the ballot box and Eloi Machoro's picture, this is provocation.

"I am receiving death threats every day, my children too", she told Radio Rythme Bleu.

Hatchet and ballot box: the ghosts of 1984

During the CCAT's press conference earlier this month, on the table was a ballot box on which a hatchet has been placed.

It was widely interpreted as a clear reminder of the iconic gesture performed by pro-independence leader Eloi Machoro, who, on 18 November 1984, smashed a ballot box with a hatchet to signify the boycott of the elections.

The iconic act was one of the sparks that later plunged New Caledonia in a quasi civil war until a peace plan called "Accords de Matignon" was negociated and agreed upon in 1988 with both pro-France and pro-independence leaders Jacques Lafleur and Jean-Marie Tjibaou shaking hands to put an end to a period since described as "the events".

On 12 January 1985, Machoro was shot by French special forces.