Nantes / France (RNC Agency) 18.03.1997

About 300 French Roma burned tyres and blocked a main bridge over the river Loire in this west French city overnight in protest against the killing by police of two of their number during a robbery attempt this week, eyewitnesses said on Sunday.

Authorities called in riot police reinforcements as the Roma vowed to continue their protests, saying the two dead men were shot in cold blood.

The killings on Wednesday occurred when police arrived on the scene as eight men were robbing a tools warehouse near Nantes. Police said the thieves opened fire on them first, wounding one policeman in the leg, before they shot back, killing two men aged 3 0 and 20. Four Roma were arrested and two escaped. Spokesmen for the Roma community said none of the eight had any firearms.

A ballistics report on the injured policeman’s wounds was expected on Monday.