New Caledonia protesters, police spar ahead of Macron visit

Reuters:  Protesters in New Caledonia erected new barricades overnight in cat-and-mouse games with French police reinforcements, a pro-independence group said on Wednesday, ahead of the arrival of President Emmanuel Macron after the worst riots in 40 years.

Macron is due to land in the French overseas territory in the Pacific on Thursday after government electoral reforms passed a week ago sparked violence that has killed six people and left a trail of destruction with looted shops, torched cars and buildings. Some leaders fear the change will dilute the vote of indigenous Kanaks, who make up 40% of the population.

The New Caledonia government said a large cyber attack launched soon after the announcement of Macron's visit had aimed to make internet services unavailable, with millions of emails sent to one address.

The attack had been stopped and its origin was unknown, territorial government official Christopher Gyges said in a livestreamed press conference on Wednesday.

"The different emails that were sent came from several countries at the same time. They wanted to clog the New Caledonia cable," Gyges said.

France's High Commission said Macron would be accompanied by ministers for defence and interior for Thursday's talks, and that some 100 members of the GIGN elite tactical response group have been deployed in New Caledonia.