Protesters in the Dominican Republic have taken to the streets after the countries election board abruptly canceled municipal elections on February 16 four hours after they had begun, claiming technical difficulties with the electronic voting system. Voters in the Dominican Republic, however, were alleging sabotage ahead of the countries presidential elections which are scheduled for May 17.

Dominicans around the world, including in US cities like Chicago, Boston, New York and Philadelphia have been staging solidarity protests. The protests were particularly forceful on Thursday, the Dominican Republic’s independence day. Some voices of the protesters and their particular concerns can be found here.