On October 16, at least 15,000 Tahitians participated in the largest protest march ever staged in French Polynesia, marching through the streets of Papeete, the capital, to demand the dissolution of the territory's parliament and new elections. The demonstrators were angered by the removal from office of President Oscar Temaru's government the previous weekend. Temaru, the first pro-independence president, was elected in June, after his party won 30 seats in the 57-member French Polynesia Assembly. The censure motion against Temaru came about because one of the pro-independence legislators switched sides. After the censure was carried, the assembly restored conservative leader Gaston Flosse to the presidency. Temaru's supporters allege that Brigette Girardin, France's minister for overseas territories, orchestrated Temaru's ousting. Flosse denounced the protest march as a “popular uprising”.

From Green Left Weekly, October 27, 2004.
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