Traffic was blocked on the RN7 in French Quarter Wednesday afternoon after tensions rose over the confiscation of a scooter by Gendarmes.
According to reports from the scene, the road was blocked from around 3 PM with rocks, tyres, pallets, and rubbish bins after an incident near private property behind the Best Buy gas station.
A young man was reportedly controlled by Gendarmes over a new scooter. The exact circumstances remain unclear, but a scuffle allegedly followed, and tear gas was reportedly used. The young man’s 82-year-old uncle is said to have attempted to intervene and was pushed to the ground.
The scooter was reportedly confiscated because the rider did not yet have insurance, though residents argued the matter was being processed.
The crowd expressed anger that the scooter was allegedly taken from private property, and concerns were raised about tear gas being used with children nearby.
Collectivité President Louis Mussington later arrived at the scene with Territorial Police and spoke with the young man to better understand what happened.
Residents demanded the scooter be returned, while the roadblock and gas station closure continued as the situation remained unresolved.