Eyewitness: Haiti protests

By Claire Marshall
BBC correspondent in Port-au-Prince
In the searing Caribbean heat, thousands of opposition supporters flooded through the streets of the Haitian capital Port-au-Prince, chanting, "Aristide, Go! Aristide - we are mobilising!"

"The situation in Haiti is very bad - now the whole population is against Aristide," said one man, draped in the red and blue Haitian flag.

"Everybody is just tired - everyone wants to see a change," another young man said, his face beaded with drops of sweat.

Even as they spoke, stones started flying through the air, as the demonstrations turned violent.

Intimidation

Groups of Jean-Bertrand Aristide supporters - hired thugs known as "chimeres" - roamed the streets clutching automatic weapons, and wearing black masks.

Their aim was clearly to intimidate people and to disrupt the demonstrations.

In the early afternoon, riot police wearing black padded body armour, and carrying handguns tried to disperse sections of the crowd in a downtown area of the capital.

The sound of bullets being fired sent people running for cover. Moments later, a man was walked up the street with blood pouring from a gunshot wound to his arm.

"Look at this!" cried a man helping him, "This is what Aristide does."

People from all sectors of society took part in the demonstrations, including students and businessmen.

Poverty and misery

According to some Haitians, these are the biggest protests to have taken place for at least 10 years - when the dictatorial Duvalier regime was swept from power, and Mr Aristide emerged as leader.

They come as Haiti celebrates 200 years since winning independence from France.

A victorious slave revolt against Napoleon's troops brought about the creation of the world's first black republic.

However, independence has brought Haiti little but misery and poverty.

It is the poorest country in the western hemisphere, with most people existing on less than a dollar a day, and an average life expectancy rate of just over 50.

The opposition movement's goal is to start to try and change this, by getting rid of President Aristide.

The president himself has pledged to call new elections this year.

However, his opponents want him out now.

One Port-au-Prince resident believes that this moment isn't far away.

"This can't go back now. Aristide has to go - either by force, or peacefully - as we want him to."