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<font size=3>Protesters clash with police following rain in Haiti<br>
<a href="http://haitiaction.net/News/HIP/2_11_10/2_11_10.html" eudora="autourl">
http://haitiaction.net/News/HIP/2_11_10/2_11_10.html<br><br>
</a></font><h1><font size=4><b>Protesters clash with police following
rain in Haiti</b></font></h1><font size=3>by Kevin Pina<br>
February 11, 2010<br><br>
<b>Port au Prince, Haiti</b> -
<a href="http://www.teledyol.net/HIP/about.html"><b>HIP</a></b> About
one inch of rain fell on the capital of Port au Prince early this morning
sparking angry protests that tied up traffic near the airport for nearly
four hours.<br><br>
At 4:30 am as the rain began to fall a collective wail could be heard
rising from the makeshift camps of those left homeless due to a massive
earthquake that rocked Haiti on January 12. Cries of helplessness and
misery quickly turned into shouts of anger and invectives against Haitian
president Rene Preval as thousands then took to the streets in several
spontaneous street demonstrations. <br><br>
Throughout one of the largest marches that headed towards the United
Nations headquarters located near the airport protesters also sang, “If
Aristide was here he would be soaked along with us.” The reference was to
former president Jean-Bertrand Aristide who was ousted in a coup in 2004
and continues to live in exile in the Republic of South Africa. Aristide
offered to return to Haiti to assist in relief and reconstruction efforts
but Preval and the Obama administration have rebuffed the offer. The U.S.
currently has as many as 20,000 US Marines on the ground ostensibly to
aid in relief efforts following the quake that killed an estimated
200,000 and left more than a one million homeless. <br><br>
A quick visit to the homeless camps in the center of the capital showed
why the homeless victims of the quake feel as if the pace of relief
efforts has been too slow. Lack of proper shelter and sanitation left
children lying in pools of water clearly contaminated by nearby feces as
families desperately tried to salvage and dry out their belongings as the
morning sun broke through the clouds. <br><br>
Before today’s rain epidemics of diarrhea, flu, scabies, ringworm and
many other preventable diseases were already raging through the makeshift
camps that are estimated to be home to more than 300,000 people in the
capital alone. The situation has grown increasingly desperate during the
past week as complaints of corruption and incompetence in managing relief
efforts by the Preval government and the UN have grown in proportion from
the camp residents.<br><br>
“We can’t take this anymore!,” shouted the protestors as the march snaked
through traffic towards the Touissaint Louverture Airport currently under
the control of the US military. As the march approached UN headquarters
where relief efforts are currently being organized a line of shield and
club wielding Haitian riot police barred their progress. The police held
the march back as a short scuffle broke out with angry protesters
demanding tents, food, water and the return of former president Aristide
to help in relief efforts. Two protesters received minor scrapes and
injuries as the police pushed a few of them towards a deep canal lining
the road where they fell in. There were no reports of injuries to the
police as the march turned back and protesters began blocking the main
road to the airport with large rocks and debris.<br><br>
©2010 <a href="http://www.teledyol.net/HIP/about.html">Haiti Information
Project</a><br><br>
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