The Rally for the Protection of Afro-Caribbean Peoples and Resources (RPPRAC) has set a deadline of October 19, 2026, for Martinican authorities and economic stakeholders to achieve progress on prices. The group warns that it will « resume the fight » if the expected results are not achieved, without specifying the form its actions will take. This announcement comes as the second anniversary of a protocol against the high cost of living approaches and reignites concerns related to the violence that accompanied previous mobilizations.
Applications before the October 19 deadline
In a statement published on September 2, the president of RPPRAC, Rodrigue Petitot, and his vice-president, Gwladys Roger, acknowledged several advances: tax cuts, meas covering several thousand products, strengthened controls as well as parliamentary work and a bill on the high cost of living.
The group is nevertheless demanding new meas. It cites, in particular, a reduction in delivery costs, an « export tariff, » the development of regional sourcing, and a reform of Martinique’s economic model. It calls on institutional and economic stakeholders to honor their commitments and to achieve tangible results in the prices paid by the population by October 19th.
The press release makes no mention of the average 11.3% price reduction for so-called « CTM-State » products covered by the agreement, as reported in the information published by the collective. These products are among the approximately 6,000 essential items included in the agreement reached between the State, the Territorial Collectivity of Martinique (CTM), and local economic stakeholders, including distributors.
Signed two years earlier, the protocol provides for the elimination of certain taxes on these products, without increasing profit margins, in order to lower prices. Its second anniversary is to be marked on October 16, three days before the deadline set by the RPPRAC.
An appeal reminiscent of the violence of 2024 and 2025
The protests against the high cost of living organized in the fall of 2024 by the RPPRAC were regularly followed by nighttime riots. These incidents sometimes paralyzed activity on the island and caused several million euros in damage, according to information reported by the source. In September 2025, new nighttime riots broke out after demonstrations by the collective.
The RPPRAC has always denied any involvement in the violence. However, the prefect of Martinique, Étienne Desplanques, suggested a possible link between the rioters and the group. Socialist MP Béatrice Bellay also drew parallels between certain demonstrations and the violence committed in neighborhoods of Fort-de-France, particularly in Sainte-Thérèse. These comparisons are statements attributed to their authors and do not, in themselves, prove the group’s responsibility for the violence.
Rodrigue Petitot was convicted for two offenses committed in November 2024. He had entered the prefect’s residence without authorization, with the aim of intimidating him, and had threatened several mayors with violence in a video posted on social media. The sentences handed down were twelve and six months of house arrest with electronic monitoring.
The form the mobilization will take remains unknown
When asked about the potential implications of resuming the fight, Gwladys Roger did not elaborate on the planned actions. She stated that the group did not reveal its intentions in advance and that it would « take to the ground » to compel decision-makers to respect the people of Martinique.
This lack of detail is fueling fears of further unrest among some residents. A resident of Fort-de-France, quoted by France-Antilles, mentions the destroyed shops, burned cars, and job and business losses during previous incidents.
The RPPRAC’s mobilization also appears to be less significant than in the fall of 2024, when its rallies drew hundreds, sometimes thousands, of people. On September 24, 2026, about thirty people responded to its call to demonstrate in front of the CTM headquarters, as part of a protest against the local authority’s financial management. The collective’s calls had already gathered a few dozen activists in September 2025.
As of the publication date of this source, September 29, 2026, the October 19 deadline had not yet passed. The nature of any potential resumption of the mobilization and the responses of the authorities or economic actors are not specified.
Source: Conflicts: Journal of Geopolitics (www.revueconflits.com)
Original article: See the original source
Author: Louis du Breil
