On Thursday 29 May, walking from the youth hostel to the Noumea square at about 3pm on our way to the supermarket, we found a band with huge speakers setting up in the rotunda, the locals setting up stalls and unloading van loads of produce and nic naks. There were local sausage hot dog stands, balloons and candy floss, but the stalls were roped off with everyone waiting with cajin type music adding to the party mood.
We moved off to the north and at the next intersection could see smoke over the block ahead which included our supermarket and riot police with helmets padding shields and holding batons, blocking the far side of the intersection.
We turned left towards the harbour and then the locals said "No , don't go, come back".
Sometimes a little slow on the uptake I caught on and grabbed the group and we made our way back the way we came. By the time we reached the square and walked up the street to the staircase up to the hostel the riot cops had moved level with the square's northern intersections. The group at the top intersection, 2 above the square - about a dozen, now had their tear gas guns and vests with plenty of canisters. I pointed at the stairs next to them and gave the thumbs up to the boss who nodded and away we went.
Others in our group were about 10 minutes behind us said that as they moved up (east) through the square they heard pops and saw two smoking canisters arch over their heads and burst in the packed square.
They started running, and coughing.
An Aussie at the hostel showed me video footage of a car burning and a large fire he filmed about a block further than we had walked. He said he saw another guy with a video attacked by locals wearing bandana masks so he stopped filming and hopped it.
I can't find any reference to any of this incident on google . Then again
the french don't fuck around.
