Tahiti — On Sunday, October 11, the Tavini party, a political group in French Polynesia, plans to hold a sit-in at the Stèle Pouvanaa a Oopa, a monument in Tahiti dedicated to a local political leader. The event will begin at 13:00, with festivities starting at 15:00, including prayers, wreath-laying, singing contests, speeches, and then a dispersal. The Tavini party has asked leaders of local groups known as Tomite Oire or Tomite referents to mobilize their members, families, and friends to ensure a large turnout and to bring a wreath per Tomite Oire. October 11 is historically significant for Oscar Temaru, the leader of the Tavini party, as it marks the day in 1958 when Pouvana’a a Oopa, a prominent figure in the region's political history, was arrested. On this day, Temaru is expected to present a petition calling for the immediate independence of the "Federated States of Ma’ohi nui," a proposed independent nation encompassing French Polynesia. The petition was previously leaked to the local news outlet Tahiti Infos and caused embarrassment among officials from the blue party, which is generally aligned with French governance. Some of these officials may not attend the event, as they are currently in New York, where they have advocated for a C24 mission involving autonomists to initiate dialogue with the French government about self-determination. Two weeks ago, Temaru opposed a resolution at the assembly of French Polynesia that called for the C24 mission, despite the fact that four years ago he was the first to request such a mission. This date, October 11, was also significant in 2022, when a similar resolution was passed. Temaru told Tahiti Infos that since 2013, he has repeatedly requested a "Visiting mission" from the United Nations, but has not received any responses. He criticized the French government for a "policy of empty chairs," suggesting that it has not engaged meaningfully with the region's autonomy or independence movements. Both autonomists, who seek greater self-governance within France, and independence advocates, who want full sovereignty, support the C24 mission. However, Temaru now considers this approach "too risky" or too slow, indicating a shift in his stance on how to achieve political change in French Polynesia.