Haiti Police Fire Tear Gas at Protesters Demanding Protection from Gangs

Chaos erupts in Haiti as police use tear gas to disperse protesters demanding stronger action against gang violence amid rising insecurity.

On Tuesday, residents in a Port-au-Prince neighborhood staged a protest to call for protection from gangs.

The protesters, equipped with machetes and stones, tried to reach the Prime Minister’s office but were stopped by police who used tear gas.

Residents of Canape Vert reported hearing threats about a potential gang invasion in their neighborhood for several days and repeatedly appealed to the police for protection.

On Wednesday, they decided to take action by equipping themselves with knives and machetes. They obstructed the roads leading to Canape Vert using felled trees and burning tires.

A protester draped in the Haitian flag criticized the government for allowing gangs to amass unchecked power within the city. “This is our flag! The gangs will not drive us out,” declared the protester, who requested anonymity.

Another protester, who wished to remain anonymous, expressed that the population was exhausted from fleeing. “We have nowhere else to turn. We’re saying no—enough is enough!”

The reason why the police ignored repeated appeals from residents, who called into the local radio station, remains unclear.

The gang menacing the neighborhood is affiliated with the Viv Ansamm coalition, which has already seized control of numerous other areas in the capital.

Viv Ansanm is also behind a string of coordinated assaults that started in late February 2024, targeting crucial government infrastructure. Armed individuals targeted police stations and opened fire at the main international airport, causing its closure for almost three months. They also stormed Haiti’s two largest prisons, freeing over 4,000 inmates.

Eighty-five percent of the capital is under gang control, and they persistently target formerly peaceful communities in an effort to expand their territory further.