multiple manifestations

I came back to Port-au-Prince two days ago to discover that multiple groups have been staging protests (known locally as manifestations) in the downtown area over the last few weeks. It started with medical students protesting shortages in classes, then came others protesting the president's delay in approving a bill from the senate calling for a more than 200% increase in minimum wage, then general dissent over the ongoing UN MINUSTAH force presence in country and as of yesterday, there were mourners for an exiled activist Haitian priest who died recently in Miami. By now there are so many different causes being represented outside the palace that I heard a radio commentator say that the students should start wearing orange so we can distinguish them from the others.

From what I can tell, the protests are being confined to the downtown area - not more widespread as the "food riots" were last year. While I haven't been near any active demonstrations we pass remnants of burning tires and streets blocked by turned-over vehicles on our way home. The UN troops have used tear gas on more than one occasion, and couple days ago a UN vehicle was overtaken by a crowd and burned (the troops got away without harm). Yesterday there was a report of someone being shot and killed - rumors quickly started that it was a UN troop who fired but really no one knows.

We had gone more than a year without any notable manifestations happening.... but this still feels very familiar. As usual, my day-to-day life is hardly affected - up until now it doesn't seem to be keeping patients away from the clinic - although that is always a possibility.

It's so hard to say whether or not the protests are in any way a positive thing. In the face of a totally ineffective government, some degree of protest/activity by the population could be a good/necessary thing. The problem is that this hardly feels like a movement of the people - organized protests with paid-off demonstrators are frequently used by politicians and other people in power here to create instability for their own benefit. The run-off/repeat Senate elections are scheduled for this Sunday so the timing is very likely politically motivated. The majority of Haitians I ask about what is happening roll their eyes and sigh with resignation.