Rebel police officers have rioted on the streets of Haiti’s capital by blockading roads with burning tyres and firing guns into the air in protest at the killing of colleagues by criminal gangs.
Demonstrators also attacked the official residence of the prime minister, Ariel Henry, in Port-au-Prince before heading to the airport as he arrived back from a trip to Argentina, trapping him for a time.
The violence flared in Haiti after at least 10 officers were murdered in the last week by gangs.
A video has been circulated showing the naked and bloodied bodies of six of the victims, with their guns lying on their chests.
The gang who killed them, known as Gan Grif, still has their remains, according to police.
The murders are the latest example of escalating violence in the Caribbean nation, which has been gripped by gang wars and political chaos following the 2021 assassination of president Jovenel Moise.
His unelected successor has called on the United Nations to lead a military intervention, but no country has been willing to send troops.
The deaths have fuelled unrest among both serving and former police officers, who are demanding better protection and a crackdown on the gangs.
They have also called for the government to be ousted, which many Haitians view as illegitimate.
One protester said: “If they are killing police officers, me as a citizen, what should I do?
“The police are second only to God and we’re going to stand behind them.”
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The Haitian National Police has expressed condolences to the families and colleagues of the dead officers.
It is “calling for peace and invites police officers to come together to bring forward an institutional response to the different criminal organisations that terrorise the Haitian people”.
The UN estimates 60% of Port-au-Prince is controlled by gangs, but on the streets of the capital, Haitians argue it is more like 100%.
This week, the UN special envoy for Haiti urged the US and Canadian governments to lead an international armed force to help Haiti combat the gangs.
The police, meanwhile, have appealed for more resources.
One masked man in a police uniform carrying a pistol said: “The movement will continue, we can’t let police get killed like this.
“We can do the job if they give us ammunition.”
