PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti -- Angry students protesting against President Jean-Bertrand Aristide burned a coffin in front of the U.S. Consulate on Wednesday. One man died in a clash with police.

Riot police fired tear gas and warning shots to disperse students and Aristide partisans who were pelting the demonstrators with rocks.

One protester was killed after being struck by a tear gas canister, causing internal bleeding, said attending physician Eric Cantave.

"In spite of repeated appeals of police ... certain sectors continue to act in violation of the regulations" concerning demonstrations," said government spokesman Mario Dupuy.

He said the victim was a supporter of Aristide's Lavalas Family party.

Dozens of students crowded into the waiting room of the capital's Canape Vert Hospital, sobbing and shouting anti-government slogans.

Later, they built a flaming tire barricade outside the hospital's entrance, the radio station reported. Riot police stormed the hospital and detained at least 15 people. One police officer was injured by a rock.

Haiti has been in turmoil since the Lavalas party swept 2000 legislative elections that observers said were flawed. In the past four months, at least 50 people have been killed.

The students want the United States to help them in calling for Aristide's resignation. U.S. troops restored Aristide to power in 1994 after a coup.

"The United States is an important factor in the crisis. It has to assume its responsibility," University of Haiti student leader Herve Saintilus said.

Officials temporarily shut down the U.S. Consulate because of the unrest, said Judith Trunzo, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Embassy, which remained open and is about one mile from the consulate.

Caribbean leaders have been trying to solve the country's three-year political impasse, meeting in the Bahamas last week with Haitian opposition members and with Aristide on Sunday.

Aristide will meet with regional leaders on Friday in Jamaica.

The opposition says it will not hold talks with the government or participate in new elections unless Aristide resigns. Aristide has said he plans to serve out his term, which ends in 2006.

Police broke up three student demonstrations last week with tear gas, saying they weren't complying with a 1987 decree requiring protesters to submit plans two days before and to give names of participants.