Violence erupts in Guadeloupe after labor dispute
Licensed archive · Attributed source reporting
411 Brief
Violence has erupted in Guadeloupe after a month-long general strike protesting the high costs of food and fuel. A union official, Jacques Bino, has been reported killed by armed youths at a barricade in Pointe-à-Pitre, the largest city. Three police officers were injured when they tried to reach the scene. "He was killed at a roadblock held by rioters, a group of youth who were mostly wearing masks," Prefect Nicolas Desforges told France Info. "He wasn’t killed in a confrontation with police." Guadeloupe is an overseas department of France.
Violence has erupted in Guadeloupe after a month-long general strike protesting the high costs of food and fuel.
A union official, Jacques Bino, has been reported killed by armed youths at a barricade in Pointe-à-Pitre, the largest city. Three police officers were injured when they tried to reach the scene.
"He was killed at a roadblock held by rioters, a group of youth who were mostly wearing masks," Prefect Nicolas Desforges told France Info. "He wasn’t killed in a confrontation with police."
Guadeloupe is an overseas department of France. The French government urged calm and called for a meeting between the disputing parties. Workers in Guadeloupe are seeking a $250 per month pay raise.
French Interior Minister Michèle Alliot-Marie said that France is sending 260 National Gendarmerie officers to quell the violence.
Minister of Overseas France, Yves Jégo, said that France has set aside €190 million for increased food, housing, and unemployment allowances in Guadeloupe.
Meanwhile, there are reports that unrest has spread to nearby Martinique.
Sources & reporting note
Licensed archive reporting by Wikinews contributors. Text: CC BY 2.5 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5/). Original source date retained. 411 has not independently verified this archive report.
Read the source: Wikinews ↗Source published 19 Feb 2009, 05:30 am IST
