Tegucigalpa: A demonstration in support of
ousted Honduran President Manuel Zelaya turned violent when a
group of protesters set fire to a fast-food restaurant, a
reporter witnessed.
The protesters were returning from a mass march near the
presidential palace when some began hurling rocks at a Popeyes
fried chicken restaurant, and then set fire to the
establishment, the reporter said.
Earlier, a demonstrator on a motorcycle was shot in the
ankle by a traffic policeman, enraging a crowd that then set
fire to a bus, a leader of the march, Juan Barahona, told.
Radio stations said police were deployed to disperse the
protesters, who had gathered for the biggest show of support
for Zelaya since his first aborted attempt to return to the
country on July 5.
Some traveled by foot from eastern and central Honduras
to converge upon the capital city.
"They are afraid of us because we are not afraid," said
Zelaya's daughter, Hortensia, referring to the interim
government led by Roberto Micheletti.
The National Resistance Front, which opposes the
bloodless coup that sent Zelaya into exile, has held marches
in Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula to step up the pressure for
his return.
Bureau Report
First Published: Wednesday, August 12, 2009, 10:50