In response to a spate of police officer murders by Haitian gangs over the past week, furious protesters have raged through the streets of the country’s capital, blocking streets and firing weapons into the air.
Le Nouvelliste, a Haitian news site, said that furious scenes broke out in numerous Port-au-Prince neighborhoods on Thursday and that barricades made of burning tires had been built in the city’s center.
According to the report, numerous schools had to close due to disruptions in public transportation. Le Nouvelliste stated that “armed protesters disguised as police officers tried to penetrate the courtyard of the prime minister’s official residence before moving to the airport road.”
Since President Jovenel Moise’s murder in July 2021, which aggravated existing political instability and left a power vacuum, gang violence has increased throughout Port-au-Prince.
In an effort to increase their power and “terrorize” the populace, armed gangs were waging a campaign of murder, kidnapping, and sexual assault, according to the United Nations, which estimated that they controlled around 60% of the capital at the time.
Gangs have slain at least 10 police officers in the previous week, while another is missing and one more has received severe bullet wounds, according to the Haitian National Police (HNP) (HNP).
Six police officers’ bloodied and naked bodies were seen stretched out on the ground with their guns resting on their chests in a video obtained by The Associated Press news agency and confirmed by police on Thursday. The video was likely shot by gangs.
The bodies are still in the possession of the Gan Grif gang, according to the authorities.
Members of Fantom 509, an armed group of present-day and retired police officers who have aggressively demanded improved working conditions for policemen, were outraged by the fatalities.
On Thursday, dozens of these guys moved through Port-au-Prince while many were clad in hoods, police gear, flak jackets, rifles, and automatic guns.
They demanded stricter measures against the gangs and called for the overthrow of the present administration, led by acting Prime Minister Ariel Henry of Haiti, who entered office only a few weeks after Moise was assassinated in 2021 and is currently experiencing a crisis of legitimacy.
What should I do if people are killing police officers and I’m a citizen? One protester shouted into an Associated Press camera while wearing a mask. “We’re going to support the police because they’re only surpassed by God.”
Henry had pleaded for an international armed force to be sent to Haiti during a previous spike in gang violence in October to help restore order and put an end to a gang blockade of the main gasoline terminal in Port-au-Prince that has since been lifted.
The UN and the US have backed the prime minister’s request, but it has sparked new demonstrations since many Haitians, including leaders of the civil society, are opposed to the idea of foreign interference.
Since then, efforts by the US government to send “a non-UN mission led by a partner country” to Haiti have stagnated since President Joe Biden’s team has so far been unable to persuade another country to take the helm of such a force.
A series of broad sanctions have been imposed on Haitian authorities by the US and its allies, including Canada, as a result of their alleged support for gangs and other acts that contribute to instability in the Caribbean country.
However, civil rights organizations claim that rampant corruption, a dysfunctional administration, and a lack of functioning institutions have hampered efforts to stop gang violence in Haiti.
A number of Haitian police officers were killed last week in a gunfight with gangs in a neighborhood that was formerly thought to be reasonably safe, in addition to the bodies presented by the gang this week.
The families and coworkers of the deceased officers received condolence messages from the Haitian National Police.
The force continued, “Calling for peace and inviting police officers to unite to advance an institutional response to the many criminal organizations that terrorize the Haitian people.”
On Thursday, the US embassy in Haiti sent its sympathies to the surviving family members of the victims and appealed for “calm to protect the population and allow for a peaceful mourning time.”
The embassy posted on Twitter, “We stand with the security forces as they confront armed gangs to restore security to the Haitian people.”
