KoreaSat 7 secured atop Ariane 5’s core section. Photo: Arianespace.

As labor protests continue to roil in Kourou, French Guiana, Arianespace has placed its Ariane 5 VA236 launch, originally scheduled for March 21, on indefinite hold. According to the company, the launch vehicle (along with its dual payload) remains in stand-by mode and is being maintained in safe conditions.

Workers from the French territory are protesting high crime rates, high cost of living and general economic hardship, and according to Mobilemag, barricaded roads to the Guiana Space Centre with stacks of tires which have prevented the rocket from reaching the launchpad.

Ariane 5 is set to carry two communications satellites into orbit: the Geostationary Defense and Strategic Communications Satellite (SGDC) for Brazilian operator Telebras, and the Koreasat 7 satellite for KTSAT.

Arianespace first postponed the launch to March 23, but was unable to proceed on schedule due to the continued strike. Now, with more than 10,000 protestors marching on the capital, Cayenne, the company has been hesitant to announce a new launch date. Flights to French Guiana’s international airport were also cancelled as of last Friday, according to the U.S. State Department.