Chris Samuel
Haitian citizens are growing increasingly frustrated with the ongoing issue of gang violence, resulting in a recent incident where they seized gang members from a bus and burned some alive. The residents are dissatisfied with the police's inaction in addressing the problem.
Citizens Arrest
On April 24, a minibus was traveling through the Haitian neighborhood of Canape-Vert and stopped at a police checkpoint. The men stopped while police searched the bus and were armed with weapons and ammunition. According to the Miami Herald, citizens dragged the men out of the bus and proceeded to stone them.
A shared tweet also shows citizens of Canape-Vert throwing gasoline-soaked tires on them and setting fire to more than a dozen people, with some still alive.
Unrest In Haiti
The Haiti National Police confirmed the stoning and burning of gang members in Port-au-Prince. Haitian residents have become increasingly frustrated with the police’s lack of action against gang violence, and as a result, have taken matters into their own hands.
Due to the violence, police tend to abandon many neighborhoods in the city, leaving citizens vulnerable to gang activity. Gedeon Jean, a human rights lawyer in Port-Au-Prince feels like citizens killing gang members will lead “to a lot more carnage,” due to other gang members looking to get revenge. In March, a case of revenge took place in Haiti, which involved gang members and citizens.
In the neighborhood of Tunel in Petionville, residents burned several presumed gang members on March 9 and turned them over to the police. On March 20, gang members retaliated and killed several residents by setting their houses and cars on fire, according to the Center for Analysis and Research in Human Rights.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in an April 24 statement stated that 70 people died between April 14 through April 19 due to violent clashes in Cite Soleil, Port-au-Prince’s largest slum. About 40 others were injured by bullets or stabbings. Since last year, citizens have been victims of killings, stabbings, and other brutal attacks committed by gang members.
Due to the rapid frequency of violence, many citizens have been forced to relocate to avoid any danger.
Haiti has a history of resilience. In 1791, the Haitian Revolution was a successful insurrection by self-liberating slaves against French colonial rule. Haiti won against the French and the French colonial government was expelled.
Too Much, Too Little
Haiti is suffering due to high gang violence and many citizens do not believe the police are doing enough to neutralize the issue. In a survey conducted by a civil society group, 79% of Haitians prefer international armed forces to help with Haitian forces.
However, in America, police brutality is an ongoing issue with citizens, particularly, Black Americans, who have been victims of police brutality for decades.
Two cases of police violence occurred in 2020 with the death of George Floyd In Minneapolis, Minn., where former officer Derek Chauvin kneeled on his neck for nearly nine minutes and eventually killed him. Chauvin was found guilty of second-degree murder.
On Jan.7, Memphis man Tyre Nichols was beaten by five police officers after a traffic stop and three died later due to his injuries. Nichols’ family would later file a $550 million lawsuit against Memphis and their police department.
