According to TV5monde, incidents occurred in the area of the criminal court in Martinique on 13 January in the afternoon and evening. Some of the anti-pesticide protesters set the cars on fire and, by a short while, no gas station was set on fire. Prosecutor Renaud Gaudeul, for his part, has reported that four people were arrested for the riots that night.

They've been blocking malls for months.

The seven activists who were called to trial on 13 January were arrested at the end of November during a demonstration at the Robert Mall in London. The movement against chlordécone has been blocking the shopping centres on the island of Martinique for weeks, where it is reported that the owners of these centres are the powerful families and those responsible for the use of pesticides in plantations. The contamination of this pesticide is maintained in the long term.

The movement against the pesticide prevents being in trial

The anti-Chlordécona movement has denounced in a press release that prevented justice from entering the palace during the trial and points to "Casta Beke" and "colonial justice" in the case of the pesticide.

Poisoning authorized by the French colonial state

On social networks @arranomendi has collected in this tweet some of the keys of the Martinika case:

For decades, owners associated with the French colonial power have used in the production of bananas a chlordeon product banned in many countries thanks to the intervention of the French State.

This toxic product has massively polluted its land and water causing health problems.

— Eneko ZA (@arranomendi) January 14, 2020

Local nationalists denounce the "colonial poisoning" that has occurred in the area.

— Eneko ZA (@arranomendi) January 14, 2020