A curfew was imposed Wednesday, November 24 in the capital of the Solomon Islands after an attempt to storm Parliament by protesters, police said in this Pacific archipelago.
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The police used tear gas on the demonstrators who had set fire to buildings, partly burning a police station located near the Parliament, specified a spokesman of the police force. He was, however, unable to confirm whether the protest was a failed attempt to overthrow Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare.
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A crowd gathered in front of Parliament, I don't know exactly how many (there were) but it was a huge crowd,
" he told AFP. Canberra advised Australian nationals in the Solomon Islands capital to exercise caution. Demonstrators from the neighboring island of Malaita are said to have taken part in the violence to protest against the decision, in 2019, to transfer its diplomatic recognition from Taiwan to China.
The Solomons had chosen to recognize Taiwan in 1983, and many residents of Malaita had close ties with Taipei.
The government of this island has regularly criticized Honiara for having approached Beijing in this way.
The Solomons, independent from Great Britain since 1978, had sunk into inter-ethnic violence in the early 2000s. New tensions led to the deployment between 2003 and 2013 of a peace force led by Australia.
