Anti-U.N. Protesters Block Haiti Base

From Al Jazeera: Demonstrators have blocked the entrance to the UN military headquarters in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, spraying anti-UN slogans on vehicles trying to enter. A crowd of roughly 100 protesters carrying banners saying "Down with the occupation" were forced back by UN soldiers.
Al Jazeera's Sebastian Walker said: "Security personnel traded blows with demonstrators, and troops started firing in the air, with helicopters hovering above."
Demonstrators also burned the flag of Brazil, the nation that has contributed the largest contingent to the international peacekeeping force.
Walker said: "Haitians feel that the presence of [UN] security personnel doesn't offer much in terms of ordinary Haitians living in camps."
A chorus of opposition to Rene Preval, Haiti's president, and to UN forces has become more vocal in recent weeks.
The political violence comes on the heels of last week's announcement by the UN that its peacekeeping force will remain in Haiti at least another year.
The unanimously approved Security Council resolution extended by one year the presence of nearly 9,000 soldiers and around 4,300 police officers - and called for "credible and legitimate" presidential and legislative elections, which are scheduled for November 28.
Rene Preval, who has served as Haiti's president for 10 of the past 15 years, cannot by law run for re-election, and the country remains in a perilous position nine months after a devastating earthquake killed around 300,000 people and left millions more homeless.
An investigation by the Associated Press news agency has determined that none of the $1.15 billion in rebuilding funding promised by the United States has arrived. There have also been reports of a rise in drug trafficking and criminal-gang activities.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Protesters
• protest
• blockade
• haiti
• Security Council

[banamayi]

Every where UN is there is trouble. They make situations worst as soon as they step in. Exemple, they protected Laurent Kunda a big criminal in DR Congo, they are protecting this criminal called Ouattara in IVORY COAST, we all know the stories in Somalia, Soudan, and now in Haiti. Ban KIMOON should step down...

[crypter27]

Resistance is victory!