Port-au-Prince.- Thousands of Haitians took to the streets of Port-au-Prince on Wednesday to protest the worsening security crisis and escalating gang attacks. Demonstrators, including displaced residents and those from violence-stricken neighborhoods such as Canapé-Vert, Turgeau, and Carrefour-Feuilles, demanded urgent government action. Some groups marched toward government offices, including the Ville d’Accueil, where the prime minister and members of the Transitional Presidential Council (TPC) were meeting.
Protesters, many dressed in black, vowed to continue demonstrations if authorities fail to address the security crisis. Meanwhile, tensions escalated further as a government-chartered helicopter was reportedly hit by gunfire while flying from Port-au-Prince to Cap-Haïtien, injuring a police officer.
Gang violence, which has engulfed at least 85% of the capital, is spreading to provincial towns like Mirebalais, where over 500 inmates escaped after gang members set fire to a prison.