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Haiti Police Fire Tear Gas, Live Rounds at Student Protesters

Sandra Lemaire

   WASHINGTON / PORT-AU-PRINCE - Haitian University students protested
   Friday in the streets of Port-au-Prince, expressing rage over the
   killing of fellow student Gregory Saint-Hillaire, 29,
   whowasallegedlykilledOct. 2bypoliceonuniversitygrounds while demanding
   the teaching jobhe waspromised after graduating.

   The protesters said they wantedrevenge and justice, as they chanted a
   song harkening back to the time of the slave revolution to gain
   independence from France.

   "We're not protesting because we believe we will get
   justice,"OldensonSaint Pierre, a medical student at the State
   University, told VOA Creole."We're out here because we know this
   government only responds to violence. They only understand burning
   tires, damage to cars, so if that is what they understand, we are ready
   to use those means to make sure our message is heard."

   Saint Pierre described victim Saint-Hilaire as an honestmanwho was
   fighting for a just cause. He said they were simply askingthe National
   Police director generalto identify the officer who allegedly shot
   Saint-Hilaire, arrest him and bring him to justice.

   Friday was the fifth day of student protests this month, during which
   they have set fire to cars, vandalized buildings and blocked roads.
   Their tactics aresimilar tothose successfully used in September by the
   rebel national police protesters,who call themselves Fantom 509, to
   force officials to grant their demands to release fellow officers who
   were"unjustly imprisoned"in theirview.

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