Militant supporters of Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide poured into the streets of the capital today and threw up barricades to prevent the opposition's first big political rally since an armed revolt erupted a week ago.
Aristide supporters blocked all roads to a square in Port-au-Prince, where the rally was due to be held, manning barricades of broken furniture, burned-out cars and scrap metal.
Crowds of ruling Lavalas Party supporters turned back vehicles trying to get past barricades. Some supporters had pistols in their waistbands.
Some in the crowd chanted: "Down with the terrorists," thegovernment's term for the armed gangs that have taken over thecity of Gonaives and half a dozen other towns in an insurgencythat has killed more than 40 people. Mr Aristide's politicalopponents have condemned the gangs but most of them share acommon aim of seeking the president's departure.
Opposition leaders denounced government supporters forpreventing a peaceful protest. They said that in addition to awave of retaliation against opponents and suspected rebelsacross the country, it showed the Aristide government wasintent on repression.
"I believe Jean-Bertrand Aristide has declared war on theHaitian people," said Mr Evans Paul, a one-time Aristide campaignmanager who is now a leading member of the DemocraticConvergence opposition group.