Guadeloupe extends nightly curfew amid violent protests against COVID-19 rules

PARIS (Reuters) – The prefect of Guadeloupe, the representative of the French central state in the overseas territory, on Thursday said he would extend a nightly curfew until Dec. 7, citing a continued threat to public order amid protest over COVID-19 rules.

The decision concerned Pointe-a-Pitre, the archipelagos main city, as well as twenty other municipalities, the prefect said in a statement.

He added that public order on the Caribbean island was still troubled, with police arresting armed protesters and continued blockades on public roads.

France last week said it is open to discuss autonomy for Guadeloupe if it is in the interests of the people who live there after violent protest had shaken the territory.

(Reporting by Tassilo Hummel)