Mass Protests Have Swept Across Mauritius

• 13.10.2026, 14:45

Local residents are unhappy about the water shortage and rising prices.

Mass unrest has broken out in Mauritius, an island nation in the Indian Ocean. Local residents are unhappy with water shortages and rising prices, according to Bloomberg.

The protests began last week due to chronic water shortages and the high cost of living. The demonstrations intensified after a police officer shot a 27-year-old woman on the evening of October 9 as she was driving home from work. The officer who fired the shot was arrested, appeared in court, and was charged with preliminary offenses.

On October 12, protests continued in various cities across the country. Demonstrators blocked roads and set tires on fire. That evening, protesters pelted a police station in Rose Hill—Mauritius’s second-most populous city—with Molotov cocktails and set it on fire. Police detained several protesters.

On October 13, all public and private schools in the country were closed. The Business Mauritius association urged companies to allow employees to work remotely for safety reasons.

Authorities assure the public that the situation is under control, all roads are open, and banks are operating as usual.