Opting out

20 octobre 2011

Mad at CRS riot police.

This morning, while setting off for school, a colleague rang to say that he'd heard that there weren't any lessons today.

Once there, some said that lessons should continue as normal - public service - whereas others said that it was too risky. So far, a 9-year-old boy has lost an eye, courtesy of a gendarme armed with flash-balls, and a 39-year-old man died yesterday while fighting against the police. There was a riot yesterday, which blocked all Mamoudzou (capital) and nearby towns. I was told it was too dangerous to go further into town, please turn around madam. Shops and petrol stations closed again yesterday morning, and are still closed, although several have been ransacked for food, alcohol and valuables such as televisions. There is to be a "white march" at 9 o'clock today to pay homage to the deceased.

Cleaning up a ransacked shop in Kawéni.

There are rumours that demonstrators are going to throw stones and otherwise fight m'zungus - white people, or people with money, whatever their skin colour - today. Sounds childish, but please bear in mind that over 50% of Mayotte inhabitants are under 20. This stone-throwing happened in 2008 : someone would see a white person, or anyone they believed to be rich, shout "M'ZUNGU!", and the whole group would rush at him/her, throw stones, fight him/her if (s)he was on foot, pull him/her off his/her motorbike and burn the bike, dent his/her car... Apparently, they didn't hesitate to fight m'zungus at that time, so people believe that it can easily happen again.

The teaching unions have been instructing teachers and parents alike to stay at home and to keep their children at home too. Most heard the call, or couldn't get further than their front door, because there were only two or three pupils per class first thing this morning. Teachers had been ringing the school principal since early this morning to say that they either couldn't or wouldn't leave their houses. Several had opted out. I have an acquaintance on the small island who also decided to opt out this morning, saying there had been pitched battles all night and fires in shops.

Roads have been blocked by fallen trees and burnt bins for a few days now.

Under French law, this right is known as droit de retrait, or right to opt out. Employees can use this right if they believe that a situation may endanger their health or their life. The danger itself doesn't actually have to be proven, but the employee has to have a good reason to believe that the situation is dangerous. Riots in the street, tear gas canisters in the school playground (happened just before the holidays), stone-throwing and blocked roads are seen as a perfectly correct example of a situation where one can choose to opt out. The employee is permitted to remain on the work premises or go home, whichever he believes to be less risky, and does not have to go back to work until peace has been restored.

A few pictures of what's been happening over the last three weeks :

Armoured tanks round the ferry port in Mamoudzou.