NOUMEA, New Caledonia — Some 27 police officers were injured in violent clashes in New Caledonia. Police used tear gas to break up a group of more than 200 protesters and striking USTKE union members. Protesters threw rocks and steel balls, breaking one police officer's leg and the finger of another. The latest incident follows a week of daily confrontations in and around Noumea between protesters and heavily armed security forces. Police said demonstrators cut off access to the prefecture's administration building and blocked a provincial road in a campaign for the release of USTKE leadership, who were jailed after rioting in May. The violent clashes in New Caledonia are related to a long-running labor dispute between Air Caledonie and union members. The conflict started after the airline disciplined a union member for a breach of privacy as an airline employee. The union strike and related public demonstrations have severely disrupted business activities in the Noumea area and prompted international travel advisories warning tourists about civil unrest and violence in New Caledonia. | 
