Haitian Burns Self in Front of Mass. Capitol

A man complaining of religious persecution in Haiti doused himself with gasoline and set himself ablaze today in front of the Statehouse in full view of horrified Beacon Hill morning commuters, officials said.

Capitol police initially thought the 7 a.m. self-immolation was a trash fire. An officer tried in vain to douse the flames with a fire extinguisher.

Beside the victim were fliers and a placard, mostly in French, referring to the current turmoil in the Caribbean nation under military rule since dictator Jean Claude (Baby Doc) Duvalier was deposed last year.

At the end of the rambling statement was a one-line inscription: “Viva la Haiti.”

Worked as Cab Driver

The man was described as a 56-year-old Haitian native who was working as a cab driver in Boston. A statement left at the scene provided the name Antoine Thurel then “alias Conac.” The body was taken to a morgue.

A relative said the man was upset about treatment his daughter had received in Haiti, Jeff Grossman, spokesman for the Department of Public Safety, said.

Authorities said Thurel apparently chose the site on busy Beacon Street, in the shadow of the Statehouse’s golden dome, for political reasons in order to draw attention to his protest.