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Haitian Police, Protesters Clash; President Calls For Unity


A motorcyclist uses his feet to drag tires into place for a barricade during a protest to demand the resignation of President Jovenel Moise in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Saturday, Oct. 17, 2020. The country is currently experiencing a political impasse without a parliament and is now run entirely by decree under Moise. ( AP Photo/Dieu Nalio Chery)

A motorcyclist uses his feet to drag tires into place for a barricade during a protest to demand the resignation of President Jovenel Moise in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Saturday, Oct. 17, 2020. The country is currently experiencing a political impasse without a parliament and is now run entirely by decree under Moise. ( AP Photo/Dieu Nalio Chery)

Haitian police on Saturday fired rubber bullets and tear gas to disperse antigovernment protesters who blocked roads and set fires in the capital, PortauPrince. Several people were injured.

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti: Haitian police on Saturday fired rubber bullets and tear gas to disperse anti-government protesters who blocked roads and set fires in the capital, Port-au-Prince. Several people were injured.

It was the latest unrest during more than a year of protests calling for the resignation of President Jovenel Mose over corruption charges. Haiti is currently experiencing a political impasse without a parliament and is now run by decree under Mose.

The president marked Saturday by appealing for unity and laying a wreath on the 214th anniversary of the death of Haitis first independent ruler, Jean-Jacque Dessalines.

Many Haitians criticize the governments pandemic response, alleging that authorities have not done enough to provide treatment for those affected, or offered economic support for those who lost work due to a national lockdown aimed at preventing the spread of COVID-19 in the impoverished country.

The police have held their own protests this year, demanding better pay and working conditions. In February, police exchanged gunfire with Haitian soldiers outside the national palace where police were protesting working conditions.

Earlier this year, a scathing United Nations report accused Haitian police of corruption and failing to protect the population.

Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor



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Tagged Calls, clash, Haitian, Police, President, Protesters, Unity