Dominican Republic: A Hungry Mob

Rioters protest price hikes

What started in anguish ended in fury. After an Easter week of vacationing on the beach, Dominicans returned to work Monday to find that the government had sharply raised the prices on most of their basic foods. Bread rolls went up to 5¢ from 2½¢, milk from 45¢ a quart to 55¢, sugar from 26¢ per lb. to 31¢. Several opposition groups immediately organized demonstrations across the country to protest the increases, which were instituted under the government's new austerity program. But their protests rapidly got out of control.

Soon gangs of unemployed youths were throwing rocks...

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