Ryan Mack: Remembering Medgar Evers: A Lesson of Civic…
HIV Awareness Billboard Criticized For Accepting Gay Men
Two thousand Haitian protesters took to the streets on Monday to express their dissatisfaction with post-earthquake resources and to demand that Haiti's President Rene Preval not use the crisis to extend his term.
Trucks filled with riot police rolled behind the protesters as they jogged past tarps and shanties shouting insults at Preval, who has been criticized for his low profile following the quake and for allegedly using the destruction as a pretext to stay in office beyond his term.
"He is profiting from this disaster in order to stay in power," said Herve Santilus, 39, a sociologist who was laid off a few weeks after the magnitude-7 quake struck and has not been able to find work since. Source: Protesters blast Haiti president's quake response, Associated Press
The protest became violent.
At least twice, shotgun blasts rang out from cracked and collapsed buildings, but it was not clear who fired them.
At least one man was wounded by a bullet, police spokesman Frantz Lerebours said. His condition was not immediately known.
Students supporting the protest threw rocks at passing U.N. vehicles, only to be choked in to submission by volleys of police-fired tear gas.
Police separately arrested at least seven people on charges of robbing people in the mob. A U.S. Army helicopter circled overhead, centering on areas where the crowd was heaviest. Source: Protesters blast Haiti president's quake response, Associated Press
The protesters are angry that Preval announced last week that he would stay in office up to 90 days past the end of his term, which was Feb. 7, 2011, if the presidential election is delayed. The election was scheduled to take place this fall, but Haiti's election agency building and records were destroyed, and approximately 1.6 million voters have been killed or displaced.
At a news conference last week, Preval assured the public that he would leave office by May 14, 2011 -- exactly five years after his delayed 2006 inauguration.
"I want to establish stability in this country," Preval said.
As Monday's protest wound down, a quorum of the 29-member Senate voted to extend Preval's term. The 99-seat lower chamber approved the measure late last week.
It is a safe bet that we will see more protests in Haiti as the rainy season makes awful living conditions unbearable for the estimated 1 million people living in tents.
Discontent over government policy and the often unbearable smell and squalor in makeshift camps is on the rise, with scattered thunderstorms Monday drenching hundreds of thousands of people. A few thousand - only a fraction - of the homeless have been relocated to remote sites on the capital's periphery managed by international aid groups. Source: Protesters blast Haiti president's quake response, Associated Press
President Rene Preval has yet to lay out a plan for establishing stability.
Comments: (2)
Add a comment
By: Tiffany on 5/11/2010 6:39PM
Wow. The Haiti people have got to continue to protest and get this joke of a leader out. The Haitian government has failed the people miserable. When I look at the complete destitute of Haitian people, the goverment officials should be hiding in shame.
Reply to this Comment | Report This
By: zellzibo on 5/12/2010 7:39PM
what the hells going on, get that fool out of theare. he all ways look like he just ass exam.
Reply to this Comment | Report This