Posted Sunday, Nov. 29, 2009, 4:06 p.m.

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras – About 500 people marching peacefully in the northwestern city of San Pedro Sula were repressed by tear gas and water cannons on Election Day today, election observers said.

Tom Loudon, leader of the Quixote Center delegation observing the elections in San Pedro Sula, told The Nica Times that soldiers deployed on the scene of the march at around 12:30 p.m., put on gas masks and began attacking the marchers “unprovoked.”

“The crowd just scattered, people went running in every direction, I was one of those,” Loudon said. Speaking over the telephone, Loudon was choking from the gas and said he was still watching marchers and bystanders run away in panic from the continued repression.

“It's just pure unprovoked brutal aggression against many people who haven't done anything, people are just walking down the street,” Loudon said.

Juan Barahona, who leads a resistance group critical of the de facto government and the elections, had told followers not to protest today for fear of military repression but left it up to local chapters decide.

The Quixote Center, a faith-based, social justice organization in the U.S. town of Brentwood, Maryland, is among the groups participating in the international monitoring of today's controversial presidential elections in Honduras.

See the organization's Web site for more on this incident.