TAHITI: AIRPORT CLOSED AFTER ANTI FRENCH NUCLEAR PROTESTERS RIOT скачать в хорошем качестве

TAHITI: AIRPORT CLOSED AFTER ANTI FRENCH NUCLEAR PROTESTERS RIOT

(7 Sep 1995) English/Nat Tahiti's intl airport has been closed after a day of running battles between stone-wielding demonstrators and police. What started as a peaceful anti-nuclear protetest by Tahiti's indep. party and its supporters turned into a full-blown riot. Police firing tear-gas clashed with the crowd of between -500 & 1000 - both on the runway and in the airport terminal and car parks. One section of the terminal building has been destroyed by fire dozens of cars were wrecked and set on fire in the rampage. It should have been the end of a holiday in paradise but for passengers trying to fly out to LA Paris and NZ it turned into a day in hell. As a thick plume of smoke hung over Tahiti's airport staff desperately tried to get passengers off flights and to safety. The crowd had already set fire to part of the terminal missiles were raining in from every direction. The airport fire brigade was called in both to douse the demonstrators and quell the flames. At one point demonstrators hijacked a tractor and rammed it through the front of the airport. Tables and chairs were hurled - inevitably injuries resulted. This passenger, bloodies in the cross-fire, protest leaders claim four of their people have been hurt. Police say two of their men are seriously injured in the mayhem. As the airport cafe was smashed up and its shelves looted, masked demonstrators ominously threatened to single out French people. International anti-nuclear protesters trying to leave after protesting yesterday's blast were caught up in the trouble. SOUNDBITE: "I think it's very heavy - a great over-reaction, these people came here to peacefully demonstrate, I saw their marchers there were women with them and they had flowers and they had banners saying "We are striking, we're just going to blockade the airport peacefully". SUPER CAPTION: Nula Ahearn - Irish Euro MP By the hour more demonstrators were arriving armed with rocks. Police in riot vehicles returning their fire with tear gas. Buildings and property all round the airport were smashed up and vehicles were set on fire and overturned. The inside of part of the terminal building was blackened by the flames. Outside as fires burnt all over the main concourse and car parks police backed up firemen trying to douse the flames. But the running battles continued ebbing and flowing between demonstrators and police enjoying the upper hand. Many superficial injuries occurred and at one point police turned on journalists. This female television producer involved in a furious argument with riot police. Late this afternoon late plumes of smoke can be seen hanging over the airport area in Papeete though the airport itself is now calmer. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...