~ Meeting with President Gibbs and Prefet Serge Gouteyron Monday.~
MARIGOT:--- Protestors supported by their unions and the Collectif took more aggressive actions on Friday and called on the drivers of the heavy equipment's to block all roads in and around Saint Martin.
The entrance into Marigot thru Bellevue border point, Agrement Round About, Mount Valois, and La Savannah are some of the areas that were blocked completely.
The more aggressive actions started when the strikers and their unions could not reach a consensus with President Daniel Gibbs, on Friday. Clearly, Gibbs was not in any way going to appease the strikers with their demands to get rid of a particular staff and her team that is occupying the Police Territorial Building.
While traffic came to halt throughout French Saint Martin just after midday on Friday, emergency workers such as healthcare staff were allowed to pass.
Prefet Serge Gouteyron met with a delegation at 4 pm however that meeting quickly came to a halt when the delegation demanded that President Daniel Gibbs be called to the meeting since several points of contention concern the Collectivity and the local government. The meeting was paused to give the Prefet the opportunity to make contact w with President Gibbs by phone.
The meeting was reconvened and the Prefet said that the meeting will be rescheduled to next week because the President said he could not attend the meeting on Friday evening for personal reasons. The Collectif made it clear that they wanted the meeting to continue on Friday evening. A phone call was made to Gibbs who said he was not available due to urgent reasons. the Collectif said that Gibbs was not in any way working to resolve the issues with the strikers and their unions.
Mr. Andre made clear to President Gibbs that whatever happens in the coming days will be his responsibility, he said he does not know if Gibbs wants a war or if he wants peace.
Prefet Serge Gouteyron was willing to continue to the meeting on Friday evening to discuss all the points that concern the State, however, the Collectif said that the Prefet made an effort to receive them but the President did not make an effort. The Collectif has agreed to meet again with the Prefet and President on Monday morning between 8 am or 9 am. It is not yet fully confirmed if President Gibbs will attend the meeting at such time even though he accepted to attend the meeting next week.
