The African island nation of Mauritius exploded into angry protests April 22, with residents of poor Kreol communities erecting roadblocks and fighting the police. The island had seen days of peaceful demonstrations over a sudden and drastic increase [9] of petrol and gas prices, centered on the town of Camp-Levieux. Things turned violent after the arrest [10] of "Darren," a young protest leader, on charges of "participation in illegal demonstrations." The police headquarters where he was being held was besieged, and protests spread [11] quickly to other towns across the island. Police deployed [12] anti-riot units and armored vehicles against youth hurling stones and Molotov cocktails. Things calmed the following day when Darren was released [13] on bail. But it remains to be seen if the increasingly debt-burdened [14] government can strike a deal with the newly mobilized popular movement. (Jurist [17])
World oil prices have surged [18] to $100 a barrel in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
