Angry students protesting on Wednesday against Haiti President Jean-Bertrand Aristide's rule occupied a hospital in Port-Au-Prince where a man slain in street clashes with the police had been taken.

The victim was identified as 29-year-old Lionel Victor who was a supporter of Aristide's Lavalas Family party.

But some protesters said they thought Victor was a student demonstrating against the government.

Dozens of students crowded into the waiting room of the capital's Canape Vert Hospital where Victor's body was brought, sobbing and shouting anti-government slogans.

Riot police then stormed the hospital and arrested 15 people.

The protests began earlier on Wednesday when students burned a coffin in front of the US Consulate.

Riot police fired tear gas and warning shots to pro-government factions who were pelting the demonstrators with rocks.

One protester was killed after being struck by a tear gas canister that punctured his back and caused internal bleeding.

Haiti has been in turmoil since Aristide's Lavalas Family party swept 2000 legislative elections that observers said were flawed.

In the past four months, at least 50 people have been killed. (AP)



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