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"The Tourist Watcher"
Guest
The National Protest Day(Strike to some, civil unrest to others)turned out to be a huge success after all. From my vantage point here in midtown Santo Domingo(Poligono Central) the whole area is semiparalized. Businesses are mostly closed or not selling.
In general, from captions on CDN news and reports from friends in all neighborhoods, the city is closed down for business. Those who are opened have reported spotty sales or no activity.
El Conde Street is closed to business.Except for a few eateries there is no activity at all there, with the exception of the Strike Coordinating Board which decided to have their central point of gathering at Independencia Park, where El Conde Street begins. A march to the National Palace was expected, but as a result of Hipolito Mejias surrender, with his decision to stop the 20% increase in electricity, the strikers decided that a march was not needed, since the protest turned out to be more successful than expected and practicly became a strike by the peoples own choice.
Hipolito Mejia and the Power Distributors Edesur and Edenorte have been handed a major defeat by the people, who were just plain tired of their oppressive-repressive tactics against the poor and the middle-class.
Vehicle traffic is so slow, that some drivers are taking advantage and doing some easy driving around the boulevards. There were not serious problems or reports of any violence so far and the hooded rioters seen in small town protests in the last 30 days were absent. No guns were shotor cars burned so far.
It is hard to tell wether the evening will bring any surprises, but it appears the whole thing will be peaceful.
In general, from captions on CDN news and reports from friends in all neighborhoods, the city is closed down for business. Those who are opened have reported spotty sales or no activity.
El Conde Street is closed to business.Except for a few eateries there is no activity at all there, with the exception of the Strike Coordinating Board which decided to have their central point of gathering at Independencia Park, where El Conde Street begins. A march to the National Palace was expected, but as a result of Hipolito Mejias surrender, with his decision to stop the 20% increase in electricity, the strikers decided that a march was not needed, since the protest turned out to be more successful than expected and practicly became a strike by the peoples own choice.
Hipolito Mejia and the Power Distributors Edesur and Edenorte have been handed a major defeat by the people, who were just plain tired of their oppressive-repressive tactics against the poor and the middle-class.
Vehicle traffic is so slow, that some drivers are taking advantage and doing some easy driving around the boulevards. There were not serious problems or reports of any violence so far and the hooded rioters seen in small town protests in the last 30 days were absent. No guns were shotor cars burned so far.
It is hard to tell wether the evening will bring any surprises, but it appears the whole thing will be peaceful.