French police pressed murder charges Sunday against a man arrested for the stabbing of a 15-year-old Gypsy, an incident that comes amid a government crackdown on travelling minorities.

The 33-year-old Frenchman, who is unemployed and lives with his mother, was arrested on Sunday after the incident in the southern city of Beziers, which took place on Friday evening.

The youth, who is from the French Gypsy community, died of stab wounds in a local hospital, police said.

The local Gypsy community plans to hold a silent march in the city on Monday morning.

His poll ratings flagging, French President Nicolas Sarkozy has launched a high profile crackdown on travelling minorities, and several hundred Roma gypsies living illegally in France have been expelled.

Sarkozy also vowed to dismantle illegal camps, including those belonging to French Gypsy communities.