Haiti police fire rubber bullets at gas price demo

February 5, 2015 4:53 PM

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Haitian police fire tear gas during clashes after a march against the government of President Michel Martelly in Port-au-Prince, on February 4, 2015 (AFP Photo/Hector Retamal)

                                                     

Port-au-Prince (AFP) - Police fired tear gas and rubber bullets at hundreds of demonstrators in violent clashes Thursday in the Haitian capital, leaving six student protesters wounded.

 

It was the second protest this week in Port-au-Prince to demand lower oil prices, in an impoverished country also struggling with political uncertainty.

Haiti recently announced a 30 US cent price reduction for a gallon of gas (3.8 liters), which sells for just over $4 in the country, but protesters said that was insufficient in light of falling oil prices on the international market.

Members of political organizations and students rallied at several university campuses.

In downtown Port-au-Prince, protesters threw stones at police who approached the law faculty located just meters from the presidential palace.

"Police fired on us, and people were wounded. The police threw gas canisters inside the law school. We denounce police behavior that prevents us from exercising our right to protest," one student said.

Several hundred people also marched through the capital's streets, and two cars were burned and multiple windshields smashed with stones.

At a similar protest Monday, three people were injured.