A month-long general strike and protests against the high cost of living in the French overseas department of Guadeloupe turned violent early Wednesday when one man was shot dead and six police officers were injured by gunfire, dpa reported according to French media .
The victim, a man in his fifties and a member of the collective Liyannaj Kont Pwofitasyon (LKP) which is leading the protest, was killed in his car after being hit by a shot apparently fired from a barricade in a run-down neighbourhood of the capital Pointe-a-Pitre.
The barricade was reportedly erected and manned by youths living in the district.
In addition, six police officers were struck by gunfire in two separate incidents in Pointe-a-Pitre early Wednesday as hundreds of youths, many of them armed with shotguns, went on a rampage. Three youths were arrested, one of them while looting a jeweller's shop.
Protesters also set up barricades on several streets in the capital and set them on fire while stores in the city were looted overnight.
Prime Minister Francois Fillon condemned the escalating violence.
"Negotiations are ongoing. Whoever does not take advantage of this opportunity will bear a heavy responsibility," he warned.
Interior Minister Michele Alliot-Marie convened a meeting in Paris to discuss security measures for the Caribbean island group, which is part of France and therefore also belongs to the European Union.
LKP head Elie Domota said the protest movement has deteriorated into violence because "the security forces arrived and began striking the protesters with their batons and insulting them with racist comments."
"Guadeloupeans have been protesting in the streets for a month to warn the government, warn law makers, warn employers, and they have been confronted with an attitude of I-don't-give-a-damn attitude," he told France-Info radio.
"It is depressing that every time the Guadeloupeans become a problem, it takes a death to provoke a solution," he added.
Among other demands, Domota wants an immediate wage rise of 200 euros (252 dollars) a month for low-wage workers in Guadeloupe.
There has always been a striking discrepancy between the economies of mainland France and its overseas territories.
In the second quarter of 2008, unemployment in Guadeloupe stood at 22 per cent, compared to 7.2 per cent on the mainland. In addition, 12.5 per cent of the population in Guadeloupe lived under the poverty level, compared to just 6.1 per cent in mainland France.
President Nicolas Sarkozy is to meet with officials from Guadeloupe on Thursday to discuss the crisis. The French president has tried to avoid dealing with the issue personally, but the escalation of the protests forced his hand.
He is also expected to address the issue during an appearance on national television later Wednesday.