BASSE-TERRE, Guadeloupe — Rioters fired at police, stormed a city hall and burned several stores in a third night of violence on the French Caribbean island of Guadeloupe, officials said today, as France proposed to boost salaries to end a monthlong strike.
More than 500 police were deployed overnight across the island, with dozens arriving by helicopter in the southern coastal town of Sainte-Anne, where youths had forced their way into the city hall.
The building was not vandalized, although several businesses in the area were looted and set on fire, Mayor Richard Yacou said.
At least 39 people were detained for questioning and firefighters responded to 28 incidents as rioters pelted them with rocks, said Nicolas Desforges, the island’s top appointed official.
Rioters also shot at police in the tourist resort town of Gosier, and at least five stores or restaurants were set ablaze in a few towns overnight, said Guadeloupe sub-prefect Stephane Grauvogel.
The clashes come after a union activist was killed Tuesday, apparently by rioters. But protest leader Elie Domota questioned the government’s version of the killing.
“We are asking justice officials to conduct an in-depth investigation to really determine what happened because the circumstances are troubling,” he said.
The LKP collective planned another protest this morning.
Strikers in Guadeloupe and nearby Martinique are demanding a $250 monthly raise for low-paid workers who now make roughly $1,130 a month.
Government officials met overnight in Paris to find solutions. Prime Minister Francois Fillon announced a plan on RTL radio this morning that includes extra government benefits totaling nearly $250 extra a month for low-income workers.
Fillon said he would submit the plan to employers and labor unions today.
Victorin Lurel, president of Guadeloupe’s regional council, said the amount was insufficient and demanded that the government make a stronger effort to restore calm across the island.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy plans to host a meeting of elected officials from France’s overseas departments and territories today “to respond to the anxiety, the worry, and a certain form of despair of our compatriots overseas,” he said during a TV appearance.
The violence has prompted thousands of tourists to cancel their vacations to Guadeloupe and Martinique. The protests and strikes have hurt scores of businesses, including restaurants, hotels and car rental agencies during the islands’ peak winter tourist season.
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