.

New Caledonia: Curfew, airport closed after riots in Noumea

Authorities have closed the airport and declared a curfew in the French territory in the Indo-Pacific, following riots in opposition to proposed voting reforms. New Zealand’s foreign minister postponed a visit there.

Burnt cars are pictured at a car dealer store in the Magenta district in Noumea on May 14, 2024, amid protests linked to a debate on a constitutional bill aimed at enlarging the electorate for upcoming elections of the overseas French territory of New Caledonia.
Rioters targeted businesses in the capital, according to DW.

New Caledonia’s government Tuesday appealed for “reason and calm” after overnight rioting and violent protests in the capital Noumea.

“No reason for discontent, frustration and anger could justify undermining or destroying what the country has been able to build for decades and mortgaging the future,” it said in a statement on Tuesday.

The government of the French territory to the east of Australia in the Indo-Pacific mobilized security forces and issued a 12-hour overnight curfew for Tuesday night.

The international airport in Noumea was closed and all commercial flights canceled, its operator said.

The New Caledonia high commission also announced a ban on public gatherings and the sale of alcohol, and said that schools and colleges were closed until further notice.