Nov 25 - Dec 2, 2009
Honduras Human Rights Observers Daily Reports
A bi-national delegation of Canadian and US representatives from labour, human rights, and faith-based organizations is in Honduras to conduct human rights accompaniment and observation at the time of the country’s controversial elections on November 29. The bi-national delegation has been co-organized along with the Quixote Centre in the U.S. (that has organized 7 previous delegations since the June 28 military-backed coup). The delegation’s members hope that their presence will mitigate human rights violations by the Honduran military and police, and that they will be able to document any violations that occur. The team is posting regular reports which appear below, with the most recent report on the top. The members of the delegation are listed in the left column.
Daily Report #9 - Scott Marshall
Report on the Nov. 29 demo in San Pedro Sula:
We just returned from the downtown square in San Pedro. The people decided to march into the core from a location about a kilometre away from the square. Such a protest is illegal under this coup regime; after gathering for about an hour the protestors decided to march and the crowd gathered steadily as they approached the market square. The police were making a visible presence with large weaponse showing, ahead and behind the march. Upon gathering at the square the police blocked the protestors in with their police in riot gear and a water cannon. The protestors faced the police and water cannon and sat down peacefully singing their anthem. The climate was tense; the police then fired tear gass into the crowd and advanced with the water cannon, chasing the protestors through the streets. We managed to get to safety and then came back to the square to see some people who had been beaten by the police. We are hearing that voter turn out at polling stations is very low. We will be going soon to observe for ourselves later today.