Authorities struggle to contain the anarchy which has swept across the island
Britons are among thousands of tourists fleeing Guadeloupe afterfull scale urban warfare erupted on the French Caribbean island.
Trouble broke out on the island earlier last month after protesters began rioting over high prices and low wages.
Butthe situation escalated this week after protesters began turning onrich white families as they demanded an end to colonial control of theeconomy.
The troubles come at the height of the holiday season,with thousands of mainly British, French and American tourists on theparadise tropical island.
Protesters were now targeting ‘all white people’, with the media inmainland France describing the situation as virtual civil war’.
Guadeloupeis a French overseas department ruled directly from Paris, andauthorities in France have sent 300 extra riot police to the island ina bid to quell the violence.
Meanwhile, hundreds ofprotesters are roaming the streets of the capital Point-a-Pitre,looting shops and restaurants, burning cars and vandalising publicbuildings.
Holiday resorts along the coast have hired extrasecurity to protect tourists, while the airport is jammed with visitorsnow trying to get out of the country.
Union leader JacquesBino was the first man to die in the violence when he was caught incrossfire on Tuesday while driving a car near a roadblock manned byarmed youths who had opened fire at police.
Six members ofthe security forces were injured during shoot-outs with the armedyouths as they tried to help emergency teams who were trying to save MrBino’s life.
Dozens more police and demonstrators have alsobeen hurt in frequent clashes on the capital’s streets – which onenewspaper describing it as looking like a battlefield’.