The walls of La Fortaleza rumbled last night with shouts of “Ricky, resign!” And “Out, out!” shouted by thousands of protesters who came to Old San Juan and, for hours, expressed their rejection to the administration of Ricardo Rosselló Nevares.
The indignation over the alleged acts of corruption that took place a week ago led to the arrests of six former government officials and contractors – including the former Secretary of the Education Department Julia Keleherand, the former Health Insurance Administration (ASES) Angela Ávila, combined with the revelation of a chat in which the first executive and several collaborators made insulting, misogynistic and homophobic expression.
The Fortress was surrounded by police officers, as well as members of specialized units of the Puerto Rico Police, in preparation for the pickets.
Spirits were heated at about 8:30 pm, when a clash between protesters and police culminated with the police throwing tear gas into the crowd.
According to the commander of the Río Piedras area of the Police, inspector Jorge Quiñones, the decision was made to throw tear gas because of reports of attacks against officers. Some of those present tried to cross or move the fences that the police had established as a perimeter, added the inspector.
“They were throwing cobblestones, stones, cement … They threw ‘cherry bombs’,” Quinones reported.
According to the inspector, the protocols established in by the police to release tear gas were fulfilled, as warnings were given to the people gathered in Fortaleza Street.
During the long day yesterday, the police launched several rounds of tear gas. In a press conference after 10:00 pm, the Undersecretary of the Interior, Erik Rolón, said that during the protests, there were three arrests.
At about 9:35 pm, police officers arrested a citizen, who said he was a resident of Baltimore, according to the television broadcast of Noticentro.
“We are here to preserve the right to free expression and look what they have done. This is not democracy. To injure, to throw gas, to throw cobblestones, to throw ‘cherry bombs’, this is not democracy. This is a democratic country, a democratic government and we will defend it even with the last man,” said the Commissioner of the Police, Henry Escalera, during the televised interview.
“We are prepared, we are going to defend democracy until the last consequences, until the last drop of blood the Police Bureau, these men and women that we have are here to defend democracy and we are going to do it,” he said when asked if the Police is ready to attend more demonstrations in the coming days.
Wide call
The demonstration yesterday was convened by various sectors and had participation of cultural organizations, unions, artists and feminist groups, among others. The event was supported by several artists, such as René Pérez, Bad Bunny and Ednita Nazario, who expressed expressions of support.
The march began at about 5:oo pm in the Capitol, although it left for the Palace of Santa Catalina at about 7:00 pm Before that, hundreds of people had already taken over the cobbled streets to demand the exit of the first executive.
To the sound of “La Macarena” – a song that became a kind of anthem in the 90s for the political activities of ex-Governor Pedro Rosselló González – young people, children and adults crossed the Walled City.
Several agents in front of the executive mansion. (Ramón “Tonito” Zayas)
The main march started from the Capitol, and went to La Fortaleza. (Luis Alcalá del Olmo)
Demonstrators begin to congregate before leaving for Fortaleza. (Luis Alcalá del Olmo)
By firing tear gas, tensions became even more tense between uniformed and demonstrators. (Luis Alcalá del Olmo)
The painter Rafael Trelles came to claim for the Puerto Rican culture. Trelles assured that the Telegram chat is “a collective shame of the Executive Branch”.
“The governor must resign, but lawmakers and their ghost employees should not back down. They are the next ones,” said Trelles.
For his part, Juan Carlos Santiago de Jesus, a student of Orientation and Counseling at the University of Puerto Rico (UPR), grabbed the first thing he found in his home to make himself felt at the demonstration.
Instead of a banner, the student paraded through Old San Juan with a small pedestrian gate that simulates the bars of a jail. In his opinion, that’s where the members of the controversial Telegram chat should be.
“More than 4,000 people died in (the hurricane) Maria and they were mocking that in the chat. Everyone should be imprisoned, “exclaimed Santiago de Jesus.
At the demonstration, activist Alberto de Jesus Mercado, aka “Tito Kayak”, said that he was arrested on Sunday after he climbed the roof of the La Fortaleza Command to place a flag and a banner reading “Renunciation.”
More protests across tue country claiming the resignation of Ricardo Rossello starting in New York City. Activists Nicole Bruno while protesting in the streets of New York stated, “finally a reason for everyone to come together for the future of Puerto Rico…”. There are other protesters in Orlando, Chicago, and Washington DC.
COMMENTS