Tahiti Cleans Up After Rioting

Regular air service has resumed and cleanup efforts were under way in Tahiti in the wake of rioting that broke out after France detonated a nuclear device on Sept. 5 750 miles southeast of Papeete, capital of French Polynesia.

France ordered hundreds of police to the island after anti-nuclear and pro-independence protesters went on a rampage, setting fires, breaking windows and forcing the closure of the airport. The rioting in Papeete was the most violent of the anti-nuclear demonstrations held worldwide. At least 17 people were injured, and damage was estimated in the millions of dollars.

The major airlines serving Papeete--Air France, Air New Zealand, AOM, Corsair and Qantas--canceled scheduled flights at the end of the week, but had resumed operations by last Sunday, spokesmen said. There were some delays, but no one was stranded, according to airline representatives.

Two cruises--on the Wind Song, operated by Windstar, and Club Med II--were canceled last week because both companies were unsure that passengers would be able to land at the Papeete airport. The 148-passenger Wind Song was fully booked, and a Windstar spokesman said passengers were offered a $200 credit on another cruise, or a refund. A Club Med spokesman said between 100 and 200 passengers had been booked on Club Med II and that some went to other Club Med resorts and some opted for a later cruise.

Most of the damage--including broken windows and fire damage--was confined to the downtown area and last week some shops were still boarded up. Gerard Seidl, general manager of Hotel Tahiti, a five-minute drive from downtown, said there was never “any imminent danger to tourists. It will put a damper on tourism but i don’t think that tourists have to worry about personal safety; maybe they’ll have to worry about inconvenience.”