The international airport in Martinique, a French Caribbean Island, was forced to close, leaving hundreds of passengers stranded, after protesters took over the tarmac and attempted to enter the airport.

The protests, which began on Monday night, were sparked by the high cost of living and turned violent, resulting in at least one fatality as demonstrators set fire to a police station, vehicles, and road blockades and clashed with law enforcement.

The International Airport of Martinique, Aimé Césaire, announced on Facebook that all incoming and outgoing flights have been suspended until further notice.

Videos posted on social media showed protesters storming the airport’s tarmac in the capital city of Fort-de-France, where hundreds of passengers had sought refuge, while police at the entrance tried to repel the demonstrators and used what seemed to be tear gas.

As a result of the airport closure, three planes carrying around 1,000 passengers were diverted to the nearby island of Guadeloupe, and another 500 passengers who were scheduled to board those flights were stranded at the Fort-de-France airport.

The local prefecture stated that the airport invasion occurred due to false information spread on social media about the imminent arrival of hundreds of French police officers by plane.

The government reported that nearly a dozen officers were injured this week in clashes with protesters, who threw bottles and rocks, while the police responded with tear gas. Additionally, some demonstrators fired weapons, according to officials.

The recent surge in violence led the government to impose a new curfew and emphasized the prohibition of public demonstrations.

This latest wave of protests follows similar demonstrations in early September, leading France to deploy special anti-riot police to the island and impose bans on protests in certain areas.

These protests in Martinique have been fueled by grievances over economic, social, and racial inequality, consistent with similar demonstrations in recent years.