Haitians took to the streets in front of the Presidential Palace today calling for President Rene Preval to step down, and for a new government to take control, but were faced with riot police and tear gas canisters. The protests began because, according to the constitution here, today (February 7th) is the day that Preval should give up his presidency, and a new leader should be sworn in. Because the elections have been delayed and the second-round run-off isn’t scheduled until March 20th, Preval has announced that he will stay until May to make sure the transition goes well. This did not make people happy…
The constitution in Haiti allows for a presidential term to last for five years to the day, and five years ago Preval was supposed to be sworn in on February 7th, 2006. But because there was a delay, Preval was actually sworn in on May 14th, which is the day that he has announced as his new last day as president.
Protesters clashed with Haitian police with force, throwing rocks, building barricades and lighting fires. Haitian police responded in kind, and showered tear gas canisters down on the protesters. Unfortunately, the majority of them were aimed in the wrong direction (or hit their targets…depends on how you look at it), and landed in the middle of the tent camp in Champ d’ Mars, where thousands of people are still living after losing their homes in the earthquake.
An older woman (not pictured) holding a tear gas canister ran to me and grabbed my arm, “Come!” she yelled in Kreyol, “You have to look back here, they shot at my home!” I following the woman back to her make-shift home-made of tarps and corrugated steel, and she pointed out all the places where the tear gas had rained down into the camp. All around were people rubbing at their eyes, and children screaming and yelling. A harsh stinging haze lingered in the air, burning your eyes and stinging your throat.
The tear gas just angered the protesters more, who continued to throw rocks in the direction of the police. While the protest began with political motivations, it quickly became a fight to protect their homes, and their families, from the tear gas that had now filled the tent camp. The protesters began working in earnest to block the roads and stop traffic from entering, but a team of Haitian police officers armed with assault rifles and revolvers barreled towards the crowd, exited the car, and sprinted towards the protesters firing round after round into the air.
The protesters and the crowds dispersed into the camps, and the policed followed, marching through the tents and makeshifts shelters as if they were hunting down an enemy.
In the end they arrested no one, and after standing guard for about 15 minutes they piled into their SUV and sped away. The crowds died down, the barricades were pulled away, and a calm fell over the camp.
The reality is that the people have a reason to be upset, Preval has been a rather stagnant president over the past year, and he is largely seen as the reason why the November elections were marred by fraud. Many Haitians call the Presidential Palace the devil’s house, and Preval the devil, and having him stay in power for another three months is hard for them to swallow (especially as they live in the shadow of the still collapsed Palace).
On the flip side, it does make sense to have him stay while the electoral process is seen through. A transitional government would take time, and would leave the country in a state of limbo. Even the US government has said they think Preval staying is a good idea. “The United States believes that a peaceful and orderly transition between President Preval and his elected successor is important for Haiti,” Jon Piechowski, spokesman for the U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince, told the AP (Article HERE).
But unfortunately, the police’s reaction to the protesters has left many with only another reason to fight. Time and again we go to these protests and tear gas canisters and rubber bullets are shot into tent camps or neighborhoods, hurting innocent people and leaving a resentment that results in more fighting. These protests will likely continue for the coming weeks, if not months, until Preval has stepped down. But in reality, they could continue forever if the police and UN forces fail to show some restraint, and as a result cause innocent people to be victims of their continuing carelessness.
I generally don’t have much sympathy for people who feel it’s reasonable to throw rocks at lawful authorities carrying guns, yet unreasonable for those authorities to use force to respond.
Still, there’s some fundamental difference between using tear gas to disburse an unruly or threatening crowd assembling in the open, and being able to shoot tear gas into people’s HOMES! The people living in tents at Champ d’Mars have suffered enough insults, asking them to calmly wait until the tear gas wafts out of their tarp-homes is more than anyone should expect. Way to solidify the opposition, Preval!
Thank you for this report.
If it’s possible, could you edit the photo of the woman in the polka dot dress to preserve her dignity? Thanks.
Hi Caia, I went ahead and adjusted the photo as to not offend anyone. Sometimes when trying to depict the harsh realities here it’s hard to know what will upset people, and what won’t. Thanks for reading!
Oh boy, I’m probably jumping into the deep end of the pool here, but somehow I’m surprised that this photo might be the first time in this blog that someone asked Frank to edit a photo to “preserve (the) dignity” of the subject. After all the disaster photos, the grieving parents, the cholera victims, and the child-amputees; we’re worried about breasts?
While I know there can be no certain answer to managing such issues, the story I took from this photo was that at this hard moment for these people, personal pride and modesty was blown away by fear and tear gas. That seems an important point to make.
Haiti isn’t Disney World, it’s hard and unfair and cruel and still appealing at the same time. Blogs like this are a nice counterpoint to other media because Frank presents the reality that might not get aired in other places.
[…] this Monday, this day of dissatisfaction throughout Haiti, was expected. Rioters burned tires, police fired tear gas, and by the end of the day it was done. The sun had set, the riots dissipated with the darkness, […]
Hi Frank,
How do you get these pictures? I have seen your other entries and pictures. Are you always at the right place at the right time?
Thank you for sharing. Getting information on what exactly is going on in Haiti is hard to get. I like to hear what the everyday man and woman in Haiti think – not the powerful and strong. It makes the story more real when you hear about an old lady who lives in a tent that has been hit by tear gas and get her “report”.
Great job,
Deneen
I find myself reading this article and tears are coming to my eyes, yet I know I have to be hopeful that change is coming and the new government will make a difference for Haiti. Well thank you very much for the post and keep up the good work Frank, we need to know the reality of what is going on in Haiti, not the edited photos or stories that are often published….
Please keep us informed, I am very appreciative….
Tina L.