COVID-19 unrest has created 'explosive' situation in Guadeloupe, says Macron

FILE PHOTO: A man walks past a street barricade after violent demonstrations which broke out over coronavirus disease (COVID-19) protocols, in Pointe-a-Pitre, Guadeloupe November 21, 2021. REUTERS/Ricardo Arduengo/File Photo

POINTE-A-PITRE, Guadeloupe (Reuters) -President Emmanuel Macron said violence in Guadeloupe over COVID-19 restrictions had created a "very explosive" situation, as a general strike entered a second week on Monday and many stores remained shuttered after nighttime looting.

Hours before Macron's prime minister and lawmakers from the Caribbean archipelago were to hold crisis talks in Paris, there were signs of protests spreading to Martinique, another French overseas territory 190 km (120 miles) south of Guadeloupe.