Hundreds of people in both Wallis and Futuna have joined a march in protest at the high cost of living, coinciding with a strike that closed many schools and affected public services.
According to a report in Noumea's daily paper, the march organisers say 1,500 people joined the action, which it says was triggered by territorial public sector employees demanding the same pay indexation as is applied to French state staff.
The demonstrators, calling for lower fuel prices and lower air fares, marched to the territorial assembly where they were met by political leaders and the French administrator.
Reports say the march was peaceful, with a police contingent flown in from New Caledonia on stand-by.
