/
RSS Feed
Thousands of Haitians flooded the streets of Port-au-Prince on Wednesday, demanding urgent action from the government to restore security in the face of escalating gang violence.
“We demand freedom, we demand security. We need to be able to work and save our country,” one protester declared, as demonstrators waved tree branches and palm fronds—symbols of resistance—while others carried machetes and even firearms.
The protests, which started peacefully, later turned chaotic as gunfire erupted, sending crowds fleeing in panic. Protesters clashed with police, and burning tires blocked roads as chants of “Let’s go and get them out” echoed through the city.
The unrest marks the first major challenge to the administration of Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé, who took office in November. Armed gangs have tightened their grip on nearly all of Port-au-Prince and surrounding areas, fueling widespread discontent over the government’s inability to curb their influence.
A UN-backed security force, struggling with limited resources, has failed to stop the gangs’ expansion. The violence has displaced over a million people, crippled the economy, and worsened food shortages.
Gangs are accused of extortion, mass killings, and sexual violence, with the situation in the capital so dire that UN human rights expert William O’Neill recently described it as “an open-air prison,” warning that safe entry or exit was only possible by helicopter.
A recent UN report recorded over 4,200 killings across Haiti between July and February, with another 1,356 injured.
With frustration mounting and no clear solution in sight, the crisis in Haiti appears far from over.
