Police in Haiti's capital yesterday tear gassed hundreds peaceful protesters who called on the law enforcement agencies to help them stop the gangs that are forcibly taking over their neighborhoods, the Associated Press reported, cited by BTA.
Protesters burned tires to show their anger at police actions and to express their frustration at recent attempts to quell rampant gang violence in Port-au-Prince, which have largely failed.
Marclyn Jean-Pierre, who lives in the Solino neighborhood, says the neighborhood has become a battleground since last year for gangs trying to take over the area.
Local media reported that the attacks were carried out by a coalition of gangs led by Kempes Sanon - a convicted kidnapper who escaped from prison in 2021 - and gang leader Jimmy Cherizier, also known as "Barbecue”.
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Since the assassination of President Jovenel Moise in 2021, gangs have engulfed much of the country and currently control around 80% of the capital, Port-au-Prince.
In Solino, gangs are trying to seize control of a strategic route, including the road leading to the capital's international airport. Families in the area are terrorized and don't have many options.
Despite promises to prioritize security by newly appointed Prime Minister Gary Connell and the arrival of some 400 Kenyan police as part of a UN-backed mission, many in Haiti say they have seen no abatement in the bloodshed.
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Just last week, a dozen people died in yet another prison break, and over the years, hundreds of thousands had to leave their homes.
Residents of the Solino neighborhood protested in the hope that their plight would be heard by officials and police would be dispatched to deal with the gangs. Instead, the marchers were blocked with barricades and sprayed with tear gas.
This has caused many men and women to flee from the very forces they hoped would protect them, leaving some like Jean-Pierre with a bitter taste in their mouths.