Haiti police: 183 hurt in fights at Carnival fete

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — A summer Carnival-like celebration in Haiti has turned violent.

Haitian police spokesman Gary Desrosiers says 183 people were injured in street fights on the first day of the “Carnival of Flowers.”

One man also died when he fell off a float.

Haitian President Michel Martelly revived the “Carnival of Flowers” last year so the capital of Port-au-Prince could have its own Carnival-like party. His administration has moved February’s Carnival fete to cities outside the capital in the hopes of developing the countryside.

The “Carnival of Flowers” began Sunday and drew tens of thousands of revelers to downtown Port-au-Prince. Many people painted their faces bright colors and wore flowing costumes as they marched through the streets.The festival ended Tuesday.

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press.

One of the many Carnival Queens is helped from a bus to the car she’ll ride in during the Carnival of Flowers celebrations in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Sunday, July 28, 2013. Haiti kicked off its mid-year Carnival party in the heart of the country’s capital Sunday afternoon which lasted through the night.
AP Photo/Dieu Nalio Chery