16950: (Chamberlain) Haiti-Protests (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Greg Chamberlain <GregChamberlain@compuserve.com>

   PORT-AU-PRINCE, Oct 14 (AP) -- Protesters hurled rocks at police and
blocked streets with flaming tire barricades for a second day Tuesday in a
town on Haiti's west coast, demanding President Jean-Bertrand Aristide's
resignation.
   Police fired into the air to break up the demonstration in St. Marc,
where about 1,000 protesters took to the streets, Haitian radio news
reports and witnesses said. No one was reported injured.
   The 12-party opposition alliance Convergence, meanwhile, issued a
statement Tuesday encouraging "all demonstrations" against the government
that are "peaceful."
   Supporters of a street gang have held three weeks of violent
demonstrations since the gang's leader was found murdered last month near
St. Marc, accusing the government of involvement.
   Aristide has denied the charge and said the protesters were being
manipulated by Haiti's opposition to cause unrest that could jeopardize
plans to hold legislative elections sometime this year.
   The opposition has said it will boycott new elections unless the
government can disarm partisans, bring to justice perpetrators of political
violence and reform the police force.