New Caledonia

Employees of the Southern Nickel plant demonstrated in Noumea after the violent evacuation of the plant on Thursday. During several intrusion attempts, the police had to fire their weapons to protect access to this Seveso classified industrial site.

The announcement of the sale of the plant by the Brazilian company Vale caused the anger of the separatists who have been fighting for decades against the plundering of the gigantic mining resources of New Caledonia which is a French overseas collectivity.

The inhabitants of the French overseas territory New Caledonia spoke out on Sunday for the second time after 2018 against a separation from France. In the referendum in the South Pacific archipelago east of Australia, 53.3 percent of voters voted to stay, according to official figures, while 46.7 percent were in favor of independence. In 2018, 56.4 percent were still opposed to secession.

Voter turnout was again very high, at around 85 percent. About 180,000 New Caledonians were allowed to participate.