Costly Damage,

Many Arrests

In Riot

Thousands of dollars worth of damage was done to property and three people were injured, one seriously, in a riot in Noumea on September 2. About

300 people, mainly Melanesians,

were involved in the riot.

The riot is said to have been sparked off by a roneoed leaflet advocating an armed uprising against authority. It was distributed among natives of Mare, one of the three Loyalty Islands, and was written in their language.

The Secretary-General of New Caledonia, Mr. P. Lenquette, told an extraordinary session of the Ter ritorial Assembly on September 9 that the leaflet was “a veritable apologia for murder and racism”.

He said the Administration was searching for the authors and dis tributors of the leaflet; and that 21 people had already been arrested for their part in the riot.

Noumea’s Bulletin du Commerce claimed that the authors of the leaf let had fixed on September 24 as the date for an insurrection, but that their plan misfired prematurely.

This followed the arrest at Noumea’s Magenta aerodrome on the morning of September 2 of Nidoiche Naisseline, a leading Mare personality, who was about to return to Mare after conducting a series of emotional political meetings in Noumea.

"Rampage"

Naisseline was taken to police headquarters in Noumea for question ing along with several Europeans, and, as a result, the police seized a quantity of “revolutionary pro paganda material” and some arms, according to the Bulletin.

Meanwhile, a large crowd of Mare Islanders gathered outside the building, blocking traffic in the Place de la Victoire.

At 7 p.m., when about 300 people were still milling around the police headquarters, the gendarmerie was called in to help the police disperse them.

However, some of the crowd refused to be driven off, and fought back with bottles, sticks and stones.

Others went on a rampage through

the town, breaking windows, lights and windscreens. A taxi driver was seriously injured and two policemen were slightly injured during these disturbances.

Following the riot, 20 Loyalty Islands leaders called on the Secretary- General to express their regret for. and disapproval of, the incidents and to assure him that they would try to maintain order among their com patriots, particularly on Mare.

A week later, at the extraordinary session of the Territorial Assembly, members unanimously adopted a motion condemning the instigators of the riot.

At the same time, the Secretary- General urged the Assembly to put quarrels aside and to work out a positive plan of action for social progress that would be “founded on the harmony of the [French and Melanesian] communities”.