1 Jun 2007

French police end Tahiti port blockade

9:11 am on 1 June 2007

French riot police have broken up a blockade of the port of the French Polynesian capital, Papeete.

Striking workers had commandered a truck with more than 30,000 litres of fuel to block the main bridge to the port.

The action was viewed as a risk to public safety and police intervened.

Over the past two years when the now ruling Tahoeraa Huiraatira Party was in opposition, the port bridge had been blockaded several times without the police intervening.

The French high commission says the operation was carried out without incidents.

Yesterday, riot police cleared the access to the town hall of Arue on Tahiti which had been blocked as part of a protest by strking municipal workers.

The French high commission also ordered a Tahiti company to collect rubbish in Arue where collection was stopped on April the 23rd because of the industrial dispute.