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Witness History: How nuclear testing changed politics in French Polynesia

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15/05/2024 GMT

How nuclear testing changed politics in French Polynesia

BBC World Service - Witness History, How nuclear testing changed politics in French Polynesia

In 2004, protests against nuclear testing saw a change in how French Polynesia was ruled

In May 2004, protests against nuclear testing caused an upset in French Polynesian elections when pro-independence leader Oscar Temaru narrowly took the presidency.

It's 20 years since elections in French Polynesia in 2004, where the independence movement stunned the France-aligned government of the day, propelling pro-independence leader Oscar Temaru to the presidency. 

It was a landmark in the country's politics, where protests against French rule had increased due to the practice of using Polynesian islands for nuclear tests.

Antony Geros, who helped lead the independence movement, recounts that night to Lizzy Kinch. 

This is a Whistledown production for BBC World Service.

(Photo: Antony Geros. Credit: Getty Images)

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