Shots fired during protest near Haiti's presidential palace

Shots were fired near the presidential palace in the Haitian capital Port-au-Prince during a protest that was organized by police who are demanding better pay and conditions, two Reuters witnesses said.

It was not immediately clear who fired the shots. The protest is one of several organized by police 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, carried guns, but had their faces covered, when they marched from the upscale Delmas neighborhood toward the large Champ de Mars public square on what is the first day of Carnival.

Haiti's President Jovenel Moise has been ruling by decree since January when the last parliament ended its term without new elections being held during months of protests in 2019. The political situation has cut the country off from some international funding, further hindering further hindering its ability to respond to the worsening economic crisis.