A protester was shot to death on the French Caribbean island of Guadeloupe as weeks of strikes and labor unrest degenerated into violence, the region's top official said Wednesday, according to AP. The death was the first since protests broke out last month, and could mark a turning point in the unrest, which has spread to the nearby French island of Martinique and deeply worried the central government in Paris. The islands belong to France and are considered part of the country. The man was apparently shot by youths manning barricades in a housing project in Pointe-a-Pitre, Nicolas Desforges, the top appointed official on the island, said by telephone. The dead man, Jacques Bino, was a tax agent and union member returning home from protests, Desforges said. Three police officers were injured in overnight violence, Desforges said. In Paris, government spokesman Luc Chatel said a return to calm «is the most important thing» and that violence will not solve the problems. Speaking on Europe-1 radio Wednesday, he urged both sides to return to the negotiating table. Workers on the French island have been striking for weeks over rising prices, and talks with employers have broken down.
