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Toronto Sun
05-05-2025
- Politics
- Toronto Sun
Protesters in Haiti demand new government as anger over gangs spreads
Published May 04, 2025 • 4 minute read A soldier carries out an anti-gang operation in the Kenscoff neighborhood of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Feb. 3, 2025. Photo by Odelyn Joseph / AP PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — Dozens of protesters marched up the hills of Haiti's capital on Sunday demanding an end to persistent gang violence as they called on the country's prime minister and transitional presidential council to resign. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account It's the latest protest to reflect growing anger and frustration over a surge in violence as gangs try to seize full control of Port-au-Prince. 'The only thing the Haitian people are asking for is security,' said Eric Jean, a 42-year-old bus driver with a large Haitian flag tied around his neck. 'We're losing more neighbourhoods, more people are dying, more people are fleeing their homes.' Also joining the protest was Marc Etienne, who blamed gangs for raiding his small business and leaving him homeless. The 39-year-old now lives in a squalid, makeshift camp like tens of thousands of others forced to flee their homes after gangs razed their communities. Etienne called for a new government as he blamed the current leaders for the ongoing violence and an increase in the number of children joining gangs. 'Haiti cannot be run among friends,' he said. 'The city is dying because the (council) is not doing anything to make it better.' Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Sunday's demonstration comes a day after hundreds of people gathered in Port-au-Prince to honour several community leaders killed in recent clashes with gangs. 'Freedom or death!' the mourners shouted on Saturday as the leaders of the Canape-Vert neighbourhood entered a small stadium where the memorial was held. Videos posted on social media showed the leaders carrying automatic weapons and wearing black T-shirts emblazoned with pictures of those killed. Many wore balaclavas to cover their faces to protect themselves from possible retaliation by gangs. Clad in white, mourners raised their fists and clutched hands in the air as a man on stage roared in Haitian Creole, 'The blood is not going to be shed in vain! The fight is what?' 'Just beginning!' the crowd answered in unison. Read More This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The unidentified man on stage said the community would never forget the slain leaders as he condemned gang violence. 'People are dying, and they don't even know why they're dying,' he said. Canape-Vert is one of the few neighbourhoods that has yet to fall to gangs that control at least 85% of the capital. It also is known for having one of Port-au-Prince's most powerful neighbourhood organizations, led in part by frustrated police officers. In early April, Canape-Vert leaders organized a large protest that became violent as they, too, demanded that Haiti's prime minister and its transitional presidential council resign. Attacks of 'indiscriminate and brutal nature' Sunday's demonstration and other recent protests have decried the country's spiraling crisis, with more than 1,600 people killed and another 580 injured from January to March. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. In mid-March, hundreds of people armed with sticks and machetes, accompanied by members of an armed environmental brigade, successfully ousted more than 100 suspected gang members that had seized control of a Catholic school, according to a new report issued by the UN political mission in Haiti. But the ouster is only one of a handful of successful fights against powerful gangs backed by certain politicians and some of Haiti's elite. Last year, more than 5,600 people across Haiti were killed, according to the UN. Gang violence also has left more than one million people homeless in recent years. RECOMMENDED VIDEO Gunmen in recent months have targeted once peaceful neighbourhoods in Port-au-Prince that would give them easy access to Petion-Ville, a residential area where banks, embassies and other institutions are located. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. In a February attack on Delmas 30, gunmen 'indiscriminately fired on the population in the neighbourhood, killing 21 men and injuring eight others,' according to the UN report. In a separate attack on a nearby neighbourhood where the French embassy is located, at least 30 people were killed, many of whom were travelling in small colourful buses known as tap taps, according to the report. Other victims include at least 15 people who were family members of police officers. Gangs also have attacked multiple communities in Haiti's central Artibonite region, killing adults and small children as they fled. 'The indiscriminate and brutal nature of some of these attacks shows the gang's strategy to spread panic and reduce the resistance of the local population,' according to the BINUH report. Meanwhile, Haiti's National Police, bolstered by a UN-backed mission led by Kenyan police, has struggled in its fight against gangs as the mission remains underfunded and understaffed, with only 1,000 personnel of the 2,500 envisioned. In a push to crack down on gangs, the U.S. government on Friday officially designated Viv Ansanm, a powerful gang coalition, and Gran Grif, the largest gang to operate in Haiti's central region, as foreign terror organizations. Critics warn the move could affect aid organizations working in Haiti at a critical time, since many are forced to negotiate with gangs to supply people with basic goods including food and water. — Coto reported from San Juan, Puerto Rico. Toronto Maple Leafs Sports Toronto & GTA Toronto Maple Leafs World
Indian Express
04-05-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Protesters in Haiti demand new government and more security as anger over gangs spreads
Dozens of protesters marched up the hills of Haiti's capital on Sunday demanding an end to persistent gang violence as they called on the country's prime minister and transitional presidential council to resign. It's the latest protest to reflect growing anger and frustration over a surge in violence as gangs try to seize full control of Port-au-Prince. 'The only thing the Haitian people are asking for is security,' said Eric Jean, a 42-year-old bus driver with a large Haitian flag tied around his neck. 'We're losing more neighborhoods, more people are dying, more people are fleeing their homes.' Also joining the protest was Marc Étienne, who blamed gangs for raiding his small business and leaving him homeless. The 39-year-old now lives in a squalid, makeshift camp like tens of thousands of others forced to flee their homes after gangs razed their communities. Étienne called for a new government as he blamed the current leaders for the ongoing violence and an increase in the number of children joining gangs. 'Haiti cannot be run among friends,' he said. 'The city is dying because the (council) is not doing anything to make it better.' A vow to fight gangs Sunday's demonstration comes a day after hundreds of people gathered in Port-au-Prince to honor several community leaders killed in recent clashes with gangs. 'Freedom or death!' the mourners shouted on Saturday as the leaders of the Canapé-Vert neighborhood entered a small stadium where the memorial was held. Videos posted on social media showed the leaders carrying automatic weapons and wearing black T-shirts emblazoned with pictures of those killed. Many wore balaclavas to cover their faces and protect themselves from possible retaliation by in white, the mourners raised their fists and clutched hands in the air as a man on stage roared in Haitian Creole, 'The blood is not going to be shed in vain! The fight is what?' 'Just beginning!' the crowd answered in unison. The unidentified man on stage said the community would never forget the slain leaders as he condemned gang violence. 'People are dying, and they don't even know why they're dying,' he said. Canapé-Vert is one of the few neighborhoods that has yet to fall to gangs that control at least 85% of the capital. It also is known for having one of Port-au-Prince's most powerful neighborhood organizations, led in part by frustrated police officers. In early April, Canapé-Vert leaders organized a large protest that became violent as they, too, demanded that Haiti's prime minister and its transitional presidential council resign. Attacks of 'indiscriminate and brutal nature' Sunday's demonstration and other recent protests have decried the country's spiraling crisis, with more than 1,600 people killed and another 580 injured from January to March. In mid-March, hundreds of people armed with sticks and machetes, accompanied by members of an armed environmental brigade, successfully ousted more than 100 suspected gang members that had seized control of a Catholic school, according to a new report issued by the U.N. political mission in Haiti. But the ouster is only one of a handful of successful fights against powerful gangs backed by certain politicians and some of Haiti's year, more than 5,600 people across Haiti were killed, according to the violence also has left more than one million people homeless in recent years. Gunmen in recent months have targeted once peaceful neighborhoods in Port-au-Prince that would give them easy access to Pétion-Ville, a residential area where banks, embassies and other institutions are located. In a February attack on Delmas 30, gunmen 'indiscriminately fired on the population in the neighborhood, killing 21 men and injuring eight others,' according to the U.N. a separate attack on a nearby neighborhood where the French embassy is located, at least 30 people were killed, many of whom were traveling in small colorful buses known as tap taps, according to the report. Other victims include at least 15 people who were family members of police also have attacked multiple communities in Haiti's central Artibonite region, killing adults and small children as they fled.'The indiscriminate and brutal nature of some of these attacks shows the gang's strategy to spread panic and reduce the resistance of the local population,' according to the BINUH report. Meanwhile, Haiti's National Police, bolstered by a U.N.-backed mission led by Kenyan police, has struggled in its fight against gangs as the mission remains underfunded and understaffed, with only 1,000 personnel of the 2,500 a push to crack down on gangs, the U.S. government on Friday officially designated Viv Ansanm, a powerful gang coalition, and Gran Grif, the largest gang to operate in Haiti's central region, as foreign terror organizations. Critics warn the move could affect aid organizations working in Haiti at a critical time, since many are forced to negotiate with gangs to supply people with basic goods including food and water.
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First Post
04-05-2025
- Politics
- First Post
‘Freedom or death': Protesters in Haiti demand new government as gang violence grips Port-au-Prince
Dozens of protesters marched up the hills of Haiti's capital on Sunday demanding an end to persistent gang violence as they called on the country's prime minister and transitional presidential council to resign. read more A soldier carries out an anti-gang operation in the Kenscoff neighborhood of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Feb. 3, 2025. Image- AP Dozens of protesters marched through the hills of Haiti's capital on Sunday, voicing their demands for an end to escalating gang violence and calling for the resignation of Prime Minister Ariel Henry and the transitional presidential council. The protest, which reflects growing frustration over the surge in violence as gangs attempt to take full control of Port-au-Prince, highlighted the deepening crisis facing the nation. 'The only thing the Haitian people are asking for is security,' said Eric Jean, a 42-year-old bus driver, marching with a Haitian flag around his neck. 'We're losing more neighborhoods, more people are dying, more people are fleeing their homes.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Marc Étienne, a 39-year-old businessman whose livelihood was destroyed by gang raids, also joined the protest. He now lives in a makeshift camp, alongside tens of thousands of others forced to flee their homes after gangs ravaged their communities. 'Haiti cannot be run among friends,' he said. 'The city is dying because the (council) is not doing anything to make it better.' Sunday's demonstration comes a day after hundreds of people gathered in Port-au-Prince to honor several community leaders killed in recent clashes with gangs. 'Freedom or death!' the mourners shouted on Saturday as the leaders of the Canapé-Vert neighborhood entered a small stadium where the memorial was held. Videos posted on social media showed the leaders carrying automatic weapons and wearing black T-shirts emblazoned with pictures of those killed. Many wore balaclavas to cover their faces and protect themselves from possible retaliation by gangs. Clad in white, the mourners raised their fists and clutched hands in the air as a man on stage roared in Haitian Creole, 'The blood is not going to be shed in vain! The fight is what?' 'Just beginning!' the crowd answered in unison. The unidentified man on stage said the community would never forget the slain leaders as he condemned gang violence. 'People are dying, and they don't even know why they're dying,' he said. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Canapé-Vert is one of the few neighborhoods that has yet to fall to gangs that control at least 85% of the capital. It also is known for having one of Port-au-Prince's most powerful neighborhood organizations, led in part by frustrated police officers. In early April, Canapé-Vert leaders organized a large protest that became violent as they, too, demanded that Haiti's prime minister and its transitional presidential council resign. Sunday's demonstration and other recent protests have decried the country's spiraling crisis, with more than 1,600 people killed and another 580 injured from January to March. In mid-March, hundreds of people armed with sticks and machetes, accompanied by members of an armed environmental brigade, successfully ousted more than 100 suspected gang members that had seized control of a Catholic school, according to a new report issued by the U.N. political mission in Haiti. But the ouster is only one of a handful of successful fights against powerful gangs backed by certain politicians and some of Haiti's elite. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Last year, more than 5,600 people across Haiti were killed, according to the U.N. Gang violence also has left more than one million people homeless in recent years. Gunmen in recent months have targeted once peaceful neighborhoods in Port-au-Prince that would give them easy access to Pétion-Ville, a residential area where banks, embassies and other institutions are located. In a February attack on Delmas 30, gunmen 'indiscriminately fired on the population in the neighborhood, killing 21 men and injuring eight others,' according to the U.N. report. In a separate attack on a nearby neighborhood where the French embassy is located, at least 30 people were killed, many of whom were traveling in small colorful buses known as tap taps, according to the report. Other victims include at least 15 people who were family members of police officers. Gangs also have attacked multiple communities in Haiti's central Artibonite region, killing adults and small children as they fled. 'The indiscriminate and brutal nature of some of these attacks shows the gang's strategy to spread panic and reduce the resistance of the local population,' according to the BINUH report. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Meanwhile, Haiti's National Police, bolstered by a U.N.-backed mission led by Kenyan police, has struggled in its fight against gangs as the mission remains underfunded and understaffed, with only 1,000 personnel of the 2,500 envisioned. In a push to crack down on gangs, the U.S. government on Friday officially designated Viv Ansanm, a powerful gang coalition, and Gran Grif, the largest gang to operate in Haiti's central region, as foreign terror organisations. Critics warn the move could affect aid organisations working in Haiti at a critical time, since many are forced to negotiate with gangs to supply people with basic goods including food and water. With inputs from agencies
Yahoo
04-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Protesters in Haiti demand new government and more security as anger over gangs spreads
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — Dozens of protesters marched up the hills of Haiti's capital on Sunday demanding an end to persistent gang violence as they called on the country's prime minister and transitional presidential council to resign. It's the latest protest to reflect growing anger and frustration over a surge in violence as gangs try to seize full control of Port-au-Prince. 'The only thing the Haitian people are asking for is security,' said Eric Jean, a 42-year-old bus driver with a large Haitian flag tied around his neck. 'We're losing more neighborhoods, more people are dying, more people are fleeing their homes.' Also joining the protest was Marc Étienne, who blamed gangs for raiding his small business and leaving him homeless. The 39-year-old now lives in a squalid, makeshift camp like tens of thousands of others forced to flee their homes after gangs razed their communities. Étienne called for a new government as he blamed the current leaders for the ongoing violence and an increase in the number of children joining gangs. 'Haiti cannot be run among friends,' he said. 'The city is dying because the (council) is not doing anything to make it better.' A vow to fight gangs Sunday's demonstration comes a day after hundreds of people gathered in Port-au-Prince to honor several community leaders killed in recent clashes with gangs. 'Freedom or death!' the mourners shouted on Saturday as the leaders of the Canapé-Vert neighborhood entered a small stadium where the memorial was held. Videos posted on social media showed the leaders carrying automatic weapons and wearing black T-shirts emblazoned with pictures of those killed. Many wore balaclavas to cover their faces and protect themselves from possible retaliation by gangs. Clad in white, the mourners raised their fists and clutched hands in the air as a man on stage roared in Haitian Creole, 'The blood is not going to be shed in vain! The fight is what?' 'Just beginning!' the crowd answered in unison. The unidentified man on stage said the community would never forget the slain leaders as he condemned gang violence. 'People are dying, and they don't even know why they're dying,' he said. Canapé-Vert is one of the few neighborhoods that has yet to fall to gangs that control at least 85% of the capital. It also is known for having one of Port-au-Prince's most powerful neighborhood organizations, led in part by frustrated police officers. In early April, Canapé-Vert leaders organized a large protest that became violent as they, too, demanded that Haiti's prime minister and its transitional presidential council resign. Attacks of 'indiscriminate and brutal nature' Sunday's demonstration and other recent protests have decried the country's spiraling crisis, with more than 1,600 people killed and another 580 injured from January to March. In mid-March, hundreds of people armed with sticks and machetes, accompanied by members of an armed environmental brigade, successfully ousted more than 100 suspected gang members that had seized control of a Catholic school, according to a new report issued by the U.N. political mission in Haiti. But the ouster is only one of a handful of successful fights against powerful gangs backed by certain politicians and some of Haiti's elite. Last year, more than 5,600 people across Haiti were killed, according to the U.N. Gang violence also has left more than one million people homeless in recent years. Gunmen in recent months have targeted once peaceful neighborhoods in Port-au-Prince that would give them easy access to Pétion-Ville, a residential area where banks, embassies and other institutions are located. In a February attack on Delmas 30, gunmen 'indiscriminately fired on the population in the neighborhood, killing 21 men and injuring eight others,' according to the U.N. report. In a separate attack on a nearby neighborhood where the French embassy is located, at least 30 people were killed, many of whom were traveling in small colorful buses known as tap taps, according to the report. Other victims include at least 15 people who were family members of police officers. Gangs also have attacked multiple communities in Haiti's central Artibonite region, killing adults and small children as they fled. 'The indiscriminate and brutal nature of some of these attacks shows the gang's strategy to spread panic and reduce the resistance of the local population,' according to the BINUH report. Meanwhile, Haiti's National Police, bolstered by a U.N.-backed mission led by Kenyan police, has struggled in its fight against gangs as the mission remains underfunded and understaffed, with only 1,000 personnel of the 2,500 envisioned. In a push to crack down on gangs, the U.S. government on Friday officially designated Viv Ansanm, a powerful gang coalition, and Gran Grif, the largest gang to operate in Haiti's central region, as foreign terror organizations. Critics warn the move could affect aid organizations working in Haiti at a critical time, since many are forced to negotiate with gangs to supply people with basic goods including food and water. ___ Coto reported from San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Time of India
04-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Protesters in Haiti demand new government and more security as anger over gangs spreads
Soldier carries out an anti-gang operation in the Kenscoff neighborhood of Port-au-Prince, Haiti (Image: AP) PORT-AU-PRINCE: Dozens of protesters marched up the hills of Haiti's capital on Sunday demanding an end to persistent gang violence as they called on the country's prime minister and transitional presidential council to resign. It's the latest protest to reflect growing anger and frustration over a surge in violence as gangs try to seize full control of Port-au-Prince. "The only thing the Haitian people are asking for is security," said Eric Jean, a 42-year-old bus driver with a large Haitian flag tied around his neck. "We're losing more neighborhoods, more people are dying, more people are fleeing their homes." Also joining the protest was Marc Etienne, who blamed gangs for raiding his small business and leaving him homeless. The 39-year-old now lives in a squalid, makeshift camp like tens of thousands of others forced to flee their homes after gangs razed their communities. Etienne called for a new government as he blamed the current leaders for the ongoing violence and an increase in the number of children joining gangs. "Haiti cannot be run among friends," he said. "The city is dying because the (council) is not doing anything to make it better." A vow to fight gangs Sunday's demonstration comes a day after hundreds of people gathered in Port-au-Prince to honor several community leaders killed in recent clashes with gangs. "Freedom or death!" the mourners shouted on Saturday as the leaders of the Canape-Vert neighborhood entered a small stadium where the memorial was held. Videos posted on social media showed the leaders carrying automatic weapons and wearing black T-shirts emblazoned with pictures of those killed. Many wore balaclavas to cover their faces and protect themselves from possible retaliation by gangs. Clad in white, the mourners raised their fists and clutched hands in the air as a man on stage roared in Haitian Creole, "The blood is not going to be shed in vain! The fight is what?" "Just beginning!" the crowd answered in unison. The unidentified man on stage said the community would never forget the slain leaders as he condemned gang violence. "People are dying, and they don't even know why they're dying," he said. Canape-Vert is one of the few neighborhoods that has yet to fall to gangs that control at least 85 per cent of the capital. It also is known for having one of Port-au-Prince's most powerful neighborhood organizations, led in part by frustrated police officers. In early April, Canape-Vert leaders organized a large protest that became violent as they, too, demanded that Haiti's prime minister and its transitional presidential council resign. Attacks of 'indiscriminate and brutal nature' Sunday's demonstration and other recent protests have decried the country's spiraling crisis, with more than 1,600 people killed and another 580 injured from January to March. In mid-March, hundreds of people armed with sticks and machetes, accompanied by members of an armed environmental brigade, successfully ousted more than 100 suspected gang members that had seized control of a Catholic school, according to a new report issued by the U.N. political mission in Haiti. But the ouster is only one of a handful of successful fights against powerful gangs backed by certain politicians and some of Haiti's elite. Last year, more than 5,600 people across Haiti were killed, according to the U.N. Gang violence also has left more than one million people homeless in recent years. Gunmen in recent months have targeted once peaceful neighborhoods in Port-au-Prince that would give them easy access to Petion-Ville, a residential area where banks, embassies and other institutions are located. In a February attack on Delmas 30, gunmen "indiscriminately fired on the population in the neighborhood, killing 21 men and injuring eight others," according to the UN report. In a separate attack on a nearby neighborhood where the French embassy is located, at least 30 people were killed, many of whom were traveling in small colorful buses known as tap taps, according to the report. Other victims include at least 15 people who were family members of police officers. Gangs also have attacked multiple communities in Haiti's central Artibonite region, killing adults and small children as they fled. "The indiscriminate and brutal nature of some of these attacks shows the gang's strategy to spread panic and reduce the resistance of the local population," according to the BINUH report. Meanwhile, Haiti's National Police, bolstered by a UN-backed mission led by Kenyan police, has struggled in its fight against gangs as the mission remains underfunded and understaffed, with only 1,000 personnel of the 2,500 envisioned. In a push to crack down on gangs, the US government on Friday officially designated Viv Ansanm, a powerful gang coalition, and Gran Grif, the largest gang to operate in Haiti's central region, as foreign terror organizations. Critics warn the move could affect aid organizations working in Haiti at a critical time, since many are forced to negotiate with gangs to supply people with basic goods including food and water.
