By Esra Taskin
PARIS (AA) – People gathered in Paris on Tuesday to protest France's 171-year colonial rule over the South Pacific territory of New Caledonia, which was also attended by French lawmakers who spoke out in support of decolonization.
The protest, attended by several French lawmakers, coincided with the anniversary of France's annexation of the island.
The march in Paris was also joined by New Caledonia Senator Robert Xowie, as well as members of the La France Insoumise, or France Unbowed (LFI) party, including lawmakers Raphael Arnault and Emmanuel Fernandes, and leftist lawmaker Clementine Autain.
Protesters carried New Caledonian flags and signs reading "The State is killing the Kanaks" and "Solidarity with New Caledonia," referring to the indigenous Kanak people.
They demanded the release of New Caledonian independence activists imprisoned in France and criticized the French government's deployment of thousands of security forces to the territory.
In his speech, Senator Xowie noted that Sept. 24 marks the 171st anniversary of France planting its flag in northern New Caledonia and the territory is still a colony.
"We are fighting for sovereignty every day, every minute, every hour," he said, vowing that the Kanak people will continue this struggle to the end.
Xowie called on the French public to support the Kanaks' independence, adding: "I have said it many times, the French people are not the enemy of the Kanak people."
He also criticized a constitutional reform that would expand the New Caledonian electorate, arguing it aims to ignore the territory's right to self-determination.
Lawmaker Autain expressed solidarity with the Kanak people under pressure, saying: "We have a very cruel government, not only against the Kanaks."
The French government responds to issues solely through repression and arrests, which the Kanaks strongly oppose, she said.
Other lawmaker Fernandes demanded the immediate release and repatriation of New Caledonian independence activists imprisoned in France.
Also, Arnault said he has receive a “complaint” from France's new Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau for sharing messages of support for the Kanak people on social media.
Arnault said that 500 people have disappeared in New Caledonia as a result of French policies, while 13 Kanaks have died in protests against the constitutional reform.
New Caledonia on Tuesday marked the 171st anniversary of its annexation by France amid ongoing violence sparked by delayed electoral reforms proposed by Paris, which have stirred tensions for weeks.
The day, which is remembered by the indigenous Kanak people as Kanak Mourning Day, marks the French colonization of New Caledonia in 1853. Kanaks, who number 112,000 out of a population of 300,000, have consistently pushed for independence from French rule.
Recent protests, which erupted on May 13, were driven by resistance to France’s proposed electoral reforms that would have granted voting rights in local elections to French nationals who have lived on the island for at least 10 years.