By Andre Paultre and Andres Martinez Casares
PORT-AU-PRINCE (Reuters) - Shots and tear gas were fired near the presidential palace in the Haitian capital Port-au-Prince on Sunday during a protest organized by police demanding better pay and conditions, two Reuters witnesses said.
It was not immediately clear who fired the shots or the gas during the protest that clashed with the celebrations for Carnival (NYSE:CCL). A stage built by the Ministry of Defense and guarded by the army was also set on fire, a Reuters witness said.
The protest is one of several police have organized since the end of last year and takes place as the impoverished Caribbean island nation struggles with a prolonged economic and political crisis.
Some protesters wore cream and blue police uniforms and carried guns, but had their faces covered, when they marched from the upscale Delmas neighborhood toward the large Champ de Mars public square, the main site for Carnival.
There, a marching band was playing while spectators and performers were getting ready for a much-anticipated colorful celebration. Police timed the protest for the first day of Carnival to criticize the government's spending priorities.
Haiti's President Jovenel Moise has been ruling by decree since January, after the mandates of lower house deputies and most senators formally expired without successors in October 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.