Port-au-Prince, Haiti — Backers of President Jean-Bertrand Aristide demanding the arrest of opposition leaders blocked streets with flaming tires and rusted cars Monday in protests that spread to the capital's suburbs.
Opposition leaders said Aristide supporters shot at their party offices in the capital and stoned opposition members, injuring three of them with rocks. An independent radio station, Signal FM in the suburb of Petionville, said it received death threats.
Tree branches, large rocks and other debris littered the streets of Petionville, as Aristide supporters, shouting "Aristide or death!" spray-painted their demands on streets.
One called for the arrest of Gerard Gourgue, the head of the "alternative" government set up by the 15-party Convergence opposition alliance to protest Aristide's May election victory.
The elections gave Aristide the presidency and his party an 80 percent majority in the parliament. The opposition has rejected offers to join Aristide's government, saying the elections were fraudulent.
The Organization of American States has also said 10 Senate seats won by Aristide party members should have gone to a second-round vote, and millions in international aid have been put on hold over the results.
Police presence was scarce during the rampage.
"The situation is deteriorating rapidly. We have entered a cycle of violence and political terror," said Edouard Paultre, a member of a civil leaders committee who has tried to mediate among the political rivals.
Aristide's government has said demonstrators who engage in violence should be arrested, but Aristide himself has not spoken out against the latest clashes, involving supporters of his Lavalas Family party.
No comments
Commenting is turned off for this story.