Police officer hurt in latest unrest on French island of Guadeloupe

In Guadeloupe there has been mistrust of the French government's handling of health crises since the 1970s when many islanders were exposed to toxic pesticides used in banana plantations.

Further civil unrest broke out overnight on Friday in the French overseas territory of Guadeloupe and at least one police officer was injured, the Caribbean island's prefect said.

Police officers came under attack from gunfire, stones and petrol bombs, the prefect - the chief representative of the central French state - said in a statement. Guadeloupe and the nearby French island of Martinique have been hit by violent protests over the past few months, due partly to public anger over COVID-19 restrictions.

"The prefect condemns the unspeakable actions and offers its support to the injured person," the statement said. A curfew was put in place in Guadeloupe at the end of last year in an effort to curb the sometimes violent protests.

The French government said in November that it was open to discussing autonomy for Guadeloupe if it were in the interest of the people who live there. In Guadeloupe there has been mistrust of the French government's handling of health crises since the 1970s when many islanders were exposed to toxic pesticides used in banana plantations.

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