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Haitian police open fire on pro-Aristide march

"This only adds fuel to the fire. The protests for President Aristide will continue."

Tebe Jocelyn, an Aristide activist

Police opened fire Thursday during a street march in Haiti's capital to demand the return of ousted President Jean-Bertrand Aristide, killing at least one protester and injuring two others, witnesses said. The clash heightened tensions ahead of fall elections.

The shooting follows a spate of violence this week that saw two UN peacekeepers and two ex-soldiers killed in clashes, underscoring the country's shaky security climate more than a year after Aristide's ouster in an armed uprising.

Thursday's protest, one of the largest in recent weeks, started peacefully in the seaside slum of Cite Soleil with thousands of marchers chanting "Aristide forever!" and waving photos of the deposed leader.

Several gunshots rang out as the demonstrators approached the local police station, which was guarded by dozens of black-clad, heavily armed Haitian officers, including some positioned on the roof with their rifles trained at the crowd. A small group of UN civilian police was also present.

Protesters said the shots were fired by an anti-Aristide street gang trying to break up the march. The gunfire sent protesters fleeing down side streets and into buildings, but didn't apparently injure anyone. Police officers immediately dropped to the ground and aimed their rifles into the crowd but did not fire.

Shortly after, several black-clad police began shooting as a group of protesters reached a main avenue leading to Port-au-Prince's international airport, killing one man, witnesses said. Associated Press reporters saw police firing into the air and toward protesters.

The body of man who appeared to be in his 30s lay sprawled out on the sidewalk, his shirt soaked with blood and one of his shoes missing. A police ambulance arrived later to remove his body, which was surrounded by dozens of onlookers.

"It was a peaceful protest," said Candio Astral, an Aristide supporter who said he witnessed the shooting. "People weren't carrying any guns or sticks, but the police started shooting and everybody ran for their lives."

Charles Christner, a 34-year-old school principal who didn't participate in the protest, had just stepped off a bus when he was shot in the arm.

"All of the sudden I saw the police shooting and I got hit," Christner said while being treated at the nearby Pavilion Notre Dame Hospital, a flannel shirt tied around his bleeding arm.

Protesters said another man was injured in the shooting but the report couldn't be immediately confirmed. Police and UN representatives weren't immediately available for comment.

While dozens of police monitored the protest route Thursday, few UN peacekeepers were seen -- a marked difference from recent demonstrations.

UN troops had maintained a heavy presence at protests since Feb. 28, when police allegedly fired into a crowd of protesters marking the one-year anniversary of Aristide's ouster. Two protesters lay dead after the shooting, although police say they fired tear gas, not bullets.

"This only adds fuel to the fire. The protests for President Aristide will continue," said Tebe Jocelyn, an Aristide activist.

Thursday's shooting in Cite Soleil came days after two UN peacekeepers died in clashes with armed ex-soldiers who helped oust Aristide last year. Two ex-soldiers also died in the clashes.

Peacekeepers and interim authorities are struggling to disarm street gangs and ex-soldiers blamed for hundreds of recent killings.
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