Haiti, Port-Au-Prince, Mar 08: At least six people were killed and around 19 injured when exiled leader Aristide’s supporters fired indiscriminately on a peaceful demonstration celebrating the President’s fall. The demonstration occurred outside the National Palace where the culprits arrived in a pickup truck , a jeep and on foot to disrupt the jubilance of the crowd. An eyewitness recalls, “'a whole group from Lavalas came down the Champs De Mars, firing in every direction.” According to sources, the dead included Spaniard Ricardo Ortega, a correspondent for the Antena 3 Spanish television station and a Reuters cameraman among others. Among the injured were four other journalists including an American, Michael Laughlin of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel . A spokesman for the paper said he was shot in the face and shoulder. Haitian National Police Chief, Leonce Charles termed this gruesome event as a “massacre.” Rescue operations started as U.S. marines rushed through the streets in tank-like light armoured vehicles and pointed rifles at rooftops. Wailing relatives and friends packed the Canape Vert hospital where most of the wounded were taken.
There were pleas to disarm the Chimeres as they were playing with people’s lives and causing havoc in the state.
Opposition leader, Marie Denise Claude said with regard to the Americans, ''Why are they there if they are not going to protect the people?…..''the international community must disarm the thugs.''

Bureau Report