TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums St. Maarten - St. Martin Protests on the French side again?

I wonder if it's actually French side working residents and business owners doing the blockades, setting fires and trashing businesses OR is it the unemployed scooter crew that now have a "reason" to let it all hang out. I am leaning toward the latter....

LINK

Probably like in the US, bands/gangs of youth and those who are unemployed or choose NOT to work doing the damage.

Supposed to go to the Loterie Farm today, but I think we’re going to punt. We were going to stop at Croissant Royal on the way, so would have taken the Sandy Ground route. We have friends with us, and as such I feel responsible for their safety. Glad I stopped in for a quick read, thanks for the info everyone.

Went to Orient yesterday via the causeway, and got there in record time..nice day at Kon Tiki.

So there are not any fixable goals to stop the chaos. So much for issues as a reason for protest. I feel bad for those who are really sincere in trying to get their point across to the Government about their problems.

This is not a protest. It is just the scooter crowd showing their true colors and I really can't see what would change their attitudes. If it is jobs then they are destroying that potential and they are creating a history that will stick in the minds of potential visitors for a long time....the French side will be known as the side that is unpredictable and potentially unsafe.

Very well stated.

JD--I posted that link yesterday. And I agree, I don't think this is people with a legitimate grievance. This is young thugs, who have no jobs because they don't want to work, too much easier to hang out on their scooters and commit the occasional robbery for spending money. Working people with a legitimate grievance don't throw Molotov cocktails at gendarmes.

gomer--I don't blame you. No WAY I would be going through Sandy Ground these days..

Sorry, I guess I missed it. You are spot on with your assessment of the situation. I would avoid the French side at all cost of I were on the island.

Nettle Bay just now.

https://www.facebook.com/LePelicanjournal/photos/a.860036410682463/4876434495709281/

What a Sh+T show.

I've looked at Google Maps, but I wanted to confirm here that there is a way to get from the airport to Orient without going through the areas with the protests/unrest. Are these areas possible to avoid?

Oh my god...

dvesc--The most reliable way is the Causeway to Marigot, through Grand Case to Orient. But, there was a protest in Marigot last weekend, which was poorly attended because of rain. Traffic was slow, but moving. Definitely do NOT go via Sandy Ground or via French Quarter (or Orleans) and also avoid Nettle Bay.

If I have to avoid Marigot, Sandy Ground and Orleans why not avoid the French side altogether?

Guadeloupe and Martinique have swat teams and Special police from France being sent to control the unrest. Does St. Martin want this kind of action where real bullets are flying?

Thank you. The more I'm seeing this, the more concerned I get. It's to the point now that I'm looking at accommodations in Simpson Bay instead of Orient.

A few of them sleeping in body bags might stop some of this behavior.

If this keeps up more people will be looking into accommodations on the Dutch side instead of French side. Better book sooner than later.

dvesc--If you are able to cancel your other booking without losing a lot of money, that's what I personally would do, if you can find someplace you like on the Dutch side.

Remember cash for clunkers? Why not offer money for these scooters not worthy. No questions asked just turn it in for cash.
Crush all these scooters and do not allow anymore imported scooters on SXM.

"Why not offer money for these scooters not worthy. "
Huh?

Carol, we can cancel our AirBnB without penalty until Dec. 11, so it's still possible to make a change. The next step will be finding a place that is still available on the Dutch Side.

Now they are throwing paintballs at the Gendarmes. As they say "Inmates are in charge of the prison".
LINK

...actually, I think it is "inmates in charge of the ASYLUM"

dvesc--OK, I would do that, at this point.

Yep.

We are looking forward to our vacation next month in Orient, mainly because it could be our last one (at least for a while). We go to St. Martin primarily for the French side. Two years ago, in order to leave Orient and go to the airport we had to take a small boat from Anse Marcel because the road was blocked. Since then things have gotten worse. It hurts to say this, having gone there since '85 on our honeymoon. But having to worry about getting around is no vacation.

Herald link already posted.

Curfew in place for Sandy Ground. Link

That was only for last night but "can be renewed if necessary"

I expect that it will be renewed, from day to day.

And bringing in "human and material resources".

Thank God we cancelled our Jan vacation, this has escalated out of control

We're here, and have had no problem at all, except for going through Marigot on Black Friday. We've been to Grand Case, Friars, and Orient, multiple times without issue.

Georgia-I am glad that you have had no issues that have affected your vacation. But again, the problems on that Friday were NOT related to Black Friday sales at all. (I don't know, if there even such a thing as Black Friday on SXM??) There were protests that day, just not as big as they would have been, because of bad weather.

We too are on the island and have had no issues at all, we are staying in Orient Village area but have made numerous trips to the Dutch side. Have used Oyster pond route, French quarter and Marigot all are fine. Have had no reason to go through Sandy Ground and it’s never been my route of choice. And Carol, we have seen adds for Black Friday so it is a thing even on SXM although probably not to the degree as in the states.

Canuck--OK, I didn't know about Black Friday one way or another, but the fact that there WERE protests on that day was in the Daily Herald..

Carol, there are absolutely black Friday sales here; the paper is full of ads. And the weather was fine that day. I'm not saying there weren't protests, but the shopping traffic could have also been a factor.

Black Friday is a common sales tool in many countries. It is mostly a marketing tool used to gin-up sales. On SXM it is not as organized and marketed as it is in the USA. What is interesting is some resorts use Black Friday to create a sale for deeply discounting rentals. You can also find quite a few jewelry stores having special sales around Black Friday.

Georgia--are you still in SXM? I thought you went home?

Anyway, all I know is that the Herald reported there were protests in Marigot that day and the next..