One of the barricades in Sandy Ground close to the schools. (Photo Robert Luckock)
MARIGOT—A collective renamed “Heads Together” met with Préfète Déléguée Sylvie Feucher on Saturday to address an extensive list of demands in a positive sign that addressing social issues on the French side, among other issues, has stepped up a gear. It also follows the Préfète’s spontaneous meetings with inhabitants during the recent protests.
Complaints about the natural risk prevention plan PPRN are among the list of grievances. The delegation from the collective comprised around 12 representatives from all of the districts. The content of this first meeting was to establish which points were the State’s responsibility and which were the Collectivité’s responsibility.
It was understood a meeting was held in Sandy Ground the same evening to evaluate the meeting after a report had been requested, according to a source.
So far, a meeting has been organized for the collective with the Collectivité on January 3 while a meeting with the Préfète on Monday, January 6, concerns youth affairs. A request was reportedly made for that meeting to be broadcast live on a radio station but the answer to that is not known.
It was also understood that the collective will be giving its input with regard to modifying the PPRN to the mission led by Sous-Préfet Dominique Lacroix on January 7.
Many of the grievances date back for years and include issues such as obtaining land titles in Sandy Ground, high unemployment, exclusion, inequality, poverty, high cost of living, access to beaches for locals, repression by law enforcement against young people, State regulations conflicting with local culture, and so on but have been overshadowed this year by the PPRN controversy.
Despite the announcement that the ban on drinking city water has been lifted, the collective is requesting an independent study to confirm the test results, as well as a report from the regional health authority ARS, a report on health risks from consuming bromates, and refunds on water bills from the start date of the pollution.
It still could not be established who the leadership of the recent protests are and if there is a spokesperson. Former Sandy Ground district council representative Cédrick André is known to be one of the key figures involved but could not be reached on the phone to give clarity.
Barricades and car wrecks still remain in place in Sandy Ground although it is possible to pass around them from either direction. How negotiations proceed with the PPRN and on other issues in the coming days and weeks will determine if the barricades are removed or not, say insiders.
