1000s call on Haiti president to step down

Thousands of people have staged protest marches in Haiti’s capital Port-au-Prince, calling on President Michel Martelly to step down after two years in office.

Around 10,000 protesters gathered in the center of the city on Monday, demanding lower living costs and the resignation of Martelly.

Protesters set up burning barricades on one of the busiest streets in the capital and tore down posters and billboards with Martelly’s face on them.

The protest marches turned violent after Pro-Martelly groups, holding separate marches in the city, clashed with anti-government protesters.

Police fired tear gas to disperse the protesters as they started throwing rocks at each other. Several gunshots were also heard.

At least one person had been shot in the head during the protests, the AFP reported. The protester’s condition, however, was not immediately clear.

“People are rising for a change,” said Moise Jean-Charles, a senator and vocal critic of the government.

Anti-government protests in Haiti have increased recently, resulting in clashes between Martelly supporters and opponents.

Earlier in October, thousands of protesters, including a number of opposition party chiefs and parliamentarians, took to the streets in Port-au-Prince, chanting slogans against the president.

The protesters also vented their anger over the existing poverty and unemployment in the small Caribbean country.

The United Nations (UN) peacekeeping mission in Haiti on Saturday urged both sides to sort out their differences in a peaceful manner.