What started out as students rioting and fighting with each other on Thursday near the Presdential Palace, in downtown Port au Prince escalated yesterday and got bigger. On Thursday, I drove right into the rioting until we saw chairs and rocks being thrown...fires were burning on the street. I turned our truck around so fast, probably was a world record...I was really surprised that I did not see it happening from a distance, but then driving in PAP, you are only really looking at the cars near you since it is like driving bumper cars most of the time...and I really do not have much of a chance to look ahead further.
Yesterday, others joined into the rioting. It is like "fun", "Hey, there are some students rioting and fighting, let's join in!" --- I imagine young men around PAP saying this to themselves.
As a result, right by the Justice Palace some cars got burned. Also, Parquet closed its gates (located on John Brown Ave.) and the rioters scaled the walls and gates to get in. (I ran into that yesterday, here we went again...I am getting really good at whipping that big truck around!)
Pretty much the entire downtown ended up being closed down to traffic which created such congestion that no car was moving anywhere...not that traffic isn't already horrendous in and around downtown.
The Immigration office was still open, though it is only a few hundred yards from Parquet, but they were not doing anything much at all because they had no electricity.
Ministry of Interior (MOI) was shut down too. The workers were sitting around waiting for a bus to pick them up to take them into the countryside because the Director of Political Affairs, Mr. Guignard's sister had died and they were all going to attend the funeral today (Saturday). Thus, they were not receiving anybody for adoption files...and since they are only open for appointments/walk ins on Thursday and Friday, we'll have to wait until next week.
And the crazy thing was that after all that driving around downtown and trying to get things accomplished, trying to avoid rioters as they moved in hoards...in our NON-airconditioned truck...one adoptive parent got mad at us and said something to the effect that we must be sitting on our butts and must be eating bon-bons all day! HELLO!?!?!
7 comments:
I am so glad you have this blog because it shows the world exactly what you all are dealing with. I pray for your protection and all that work for our kids...
I am also glad to have this connection also. Keep doing what you're doing and try not to hold it against the adoptive parent that suggested you were sitting around. There are so many emotions involved with adopting a child as you know and not everyone is able to understand or contain the emotions at all times. No, it's not right to take it out on you, but there needs to be grace all around.
That parent should try dealing with our orphanage. They know nothing about the delays and tribulations of adopting from Haiti if they are luck enough to be working with you! Thank you for all your hard work!
Have you heard if there's any connection between the riots and Father Jean-Juste's funeral which was scheduled for 11:00 am at Notre Dame?
What a day friday was. We had an email from our orphanage director who was finalizing our passports in the Immigration office at the time. I think she was lucky enough to get into the office before the rioter reached that office. She said she was stuck in the office for 4 hours, while cars were being smashed outside. In her words 'Very Scary'.
Irene
What a frustrating day. I am glad you all made it through safe and sound! Did the rioting affect the IBESR office also?
WOW...You have Bon-Bons...Save some for me!
You know I love ya and know the feeling of what it is like to work with crazy adoptive parents (I used to be one..hehe)
LeAnne
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