Police in Haiti have taken to the streets in Port-au-Prince, as anger over their pay and conditions erupted during Carnival celebrations.
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The police protest on the first day of Carnival came as the impoverished Caribbean island nation struggles with a prolonged economic and political crisis.
"No money for police officers but enough money for Carnival," protesters shouted. It was the final straw after a series of other challenges, they said, including inadequate pay and conditions, redundancies and lack of benefits.
Local radio reported several people were hurt.
It was not immediately clear who fired the shots or the gas during the protest that clashed with the celebrations for Carnival. A stage built by the Ministry of Defence and guarded by the army was set on fire.
Some protesters wore police uniforms and carried guns, but had their faces covered, when they marched from the upscale Delmas neighbourhood toward the large Champ de Mars public square, the main site for Carnival.
Haiti's President Jovenel Moise has been ruling by decree since January, after the country failed to hold elections.
The political situation has cut Haiti, the poorest country in the Americas, off from some international funding. This has further hindered its ability to respond to the worsening economic crisis, including food shortages.
One in three Haitians, around 3.7 million people, needs urgent food assistance, up from 2.6 million people at the end of 2018.
Australian Associated Press