Protests reach Haiti airport and Prime Minister’s residence over police killings

CNN
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Demonstrators and police demonstrated Thursday outside the official residence of the Prime Minister of Haiti in the capital Port-au-Prince, denouncing the recent killings of police officers, according to one of his advisers.

“Police and protesters came here to make their voices heard. They are angry and we understand and hear them,” the adviser told CNN, on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to comment on the current situation.

Social media footage appeared to show protesters outside the prime minister’s residence and at the country’s main airport, Toussaint Louverture International.

Prime Minister Ariel Henry, who was returning to Haiti from a summit in Argentina on Thursday, was not at his residence during the incident. He has not publicly commented on the protests.

Amid widespread insecurity and gang violence in the country, the killing of several police officers in the line of duty this week has fueled anger in the capital.

Six police officers were killed on Wednesday, bringing the total death toll over the past week to at least 10, according to public statements by the Haitian National Police. Police did not respond to CNN’s request for comment.

In an announcement tweeted by police on Thursday, chief executive Frantz Elbé declared a state of “high alert” in light of the killings.

The international community has condemned police targeting in Haiti.

In a tweet, the U.S. Embassy in Haiti wrote that it “offers condolences to the families and friends of the brave…officers killed in the line of duty and appeals for calm to protect population and allow a period of peaceful mourning”.

“We stand with security forces as they fight armed gangs to restore security to the Haitian people,” the embassy also wrote.

The United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti also tweeted its “strong condemnation of targeted and deliberate attacks by armed gangs against police personnel”.