Police in New Caledonia arrested 11 individuals, including pro-Independence leader Christian Tein, on charges of alleged involvement in the fatal protests that the archipelago witnessed last month. 

Tein had organized protest barricades across the New Caledonian capital of Nouméa, as head of the CCAT, a branch of the biggest pro-Independence political party, the Caledonian Unionand, was the only individual named by chief prosecutor Yves Dupas.

The arrest campaign was launched earlier on Wednesday and stretched till later in the day. Dupas mentioned that some of the arrested individuals reported to police stations on their own. 

Dupas then stated that the detainees were arrested for "organized crime" offenses which could keep them behind bars for up to 96 hours. The arrests were made under a police probe investigating suspected and possible crimes, such as complicity in homicide and attempted homicide, armed robbery, arson, and membership of a group created to prepare violent acts.

Tein was arrested ahead of a press conference organized at the headquarters of the Caledonian Union, which was surrounded by police forces and was later searched. 

In a statement, Daniel Goa, the president of the Caledonian Union, called for calm among CCAT protesters and advised the youth not to react to what he described as a "provocation".

Tein had previously represented the CCAT in a meeting between pro-independence movements in New Caledonia and French President Emmanuel Macron. 

Macron appeals to New Caledonia residents to lift roadblocks

French President Emmanuel Macron publicly asked residents of New Caledonia on Tuesday to lift the barricades that had closed roads for the past month, following widespread and violent unrest.

According to French media, Macron called the situation "unacceptable" after condemning it and called for "the firm and definitive lifting of all blockades."

Local media circulated a letter by Macron calling on New Caledonians to engage in dialogue.

"It always takes longer to build than to destroy," he was cited as saying, stressing the need for constructive efforts toward resolution.

Massive protests and rallies broke out on the Pacific archipelago on May 13 after a voting reform that would allow non-native long-term residents of the island to participate in local polls. 

The Indigenous Kanaks on the archipelago, driven by the fact that the move would dilute their input on decisions on their native lands, led demonstrations against the French government. 

Read more: France grapples with rising calls for independence from colonies