美国国家公共电台 NPR Streets A 'War Zone' As Protesters Call For Puerto Rico's Governor To Resign（在线收听）

NOEL KING, HOST:

In Puerto Rico last night, the old colonial section of San Juan looked a little bit like a war zone.

(SOUNDBITE OF PROTEST AMBIANCE)

KING: Police fired tear gas. They shot at protesters with rubber bullets and threw flash grenades. These protests started out peacefully during the day, but by evening, things had gotten chaotic. Puerto Rico has never really seen protests like this. People want their governor, Ricardo Rossello, to resign, but he is refusing, and so the protests keep getting bigger.

Adrian Florido of NPR's Code Switch team is in San Juan. Hey, Adrian.

ADRIAN FLORIDO, BYLINE: Hi, Noel.

KING: So protests of this size are really unusual in Puerto Rico. You were there yesterday. What'd you see? How big was it?

FLORIDO: I mean, it's hard to say for sure how big it was - there are no official estimates - but there were many, many thousands of people. During the height of the protest, it was really hard to even just move through the streets of Old San Juan there were so many people. And you're right. It was an unprecedented night of political protest against a sitting governor. This sort of thing doesn't really happen - hasn't ever happened in Puerto Rico.

One reason it was so big was because of international famous artists from Puerto Rico - Bad Bunny, Ricky Martin, the rapper Residente - who all called on people to come out. But, you know, the other is that Puerto Ricans are just really angry. They're really angry and fed up with their governor and with their government, and they've had enough of it.

KING: Things started out, as we said, pretty peacefully during the day. And then, at night, it sort of descended into chaos. What happened?

FLORIDO: Yeah. I mean, after nightfall, sort of, you know, the energy changed at the protest. You know, you could sort of start to feel tensions rising as some of the more aggressive protesters started to confront police a little bit more. And then at some point, there was a trigger of some sort, and the tear gas started flying, and the rocks started being hurled. And then things devolved into chaos. And so it was a chaotic end to what was otherwise a very peaceful protest.

KING: Why are people so insistent that the governor resign? Remind us what he has done here.

FLORIDO: Well, the thing that sparked these protests initially over the weekend was the publication of these leaked text messages between him and members of his inner circle in which they used really offensive language to talk about political opponents, women and, really, everyday Puerto Ricans. Puerto Ricans were really offended by these text messages.

But, really, it was kind of the final straw for Puerto Ricans, who have been really frustrated about a lot of things on their island for a long time - the economic crisis, the fact that they feel like the government's often corrupt, cronyism, the slow response and recovery from Hurricane Maria. And then to see their leaders making light of a lot of the struggles of everyday Puerto Ricans - it just became too much, and people took to the streets.

KING: Is there any sign that Rossello is going to listen and step down, given that things are getting large and violent now?

FLORIDO: He has been insistent that he is not going to step down. He has been, you know, facing increasing pressure from, obviously, the protesters, but also his political allies, his political opponents. There has been talk within the Puerto Rican Legislature of beginning impeachment proceedings, but that is unclear whether it's going to happen. Protesters say they're going to continue taking to the streets until he either steps down or is removed from office.

KING: Adrian Florido of NPR's Code Switch team. Thanks, Adrian.

FLORIDO: Thanks, Noel.