Gunfights continue in parts of Haitian capital as gang leader demands PM's arrest

(1 Mar 2024)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Port-au-Prince, Haiti - 1 March 2024
1. Various of people running with sound of heavy shooting
2. Exterior shot of the Haitian National palace with barricade and sound of gunfight
3. Various of police armored car driving by
4. Man taking cover as shots overheard
5. People walking near National Palace and gun shots sounds
6. Gang members with faces covered getting out of car
7. Gang members talking to the press
8. SOUNDBITE (Haitian Creole) Jimmy Chérizier, AKA Barbecue, leader of the G9 gang:
"We are demanding that the police and the military take responsibility and arrest Ariel Henry. Men with weapons are not your enemy. Arrest Ariel Henry and you will see how that these weapons are not to cause any harm, they are the symbol of our freedom."
9. Gang members talking to the press
10. Various of gang members holding weapons and loading guns
STORYLINE:
Sporadic gun fire could still be heard around some areas of Port-au-Prince on Friday a day after the capital was paralyzed by shootouts that left four policemen dead.
Near the National Palace, the few people in the streets had to duck as bullets flew overhead while in other areas, women and children were running for cover as police and gangs engaged in an exchanged gun fire.
Jimmy Chérizier, a former elite police officer known as Barbecue who now runs a gang federation known as G9 and Family and Allies, surrounded by heavily armed gang members, made new demands for the arrest of Prime Minister, Ariel Henry.
“We demand that the police and the military take responsibility and arrest Ariel Henry,” Chérizier said.
Brandishing weapons and ammunition Barbecue again said he did not intend to cause any harm.
“These weapons are not to cause any harm, they are the symbol of our freedom," he said.
The attacks on Thursday were led by gunmen who opened fire on targets including Haiti’s international airport and seized control of two police stations, prompting people to flee dozens of communities in fear as schools and businesses closed.
Haiti’s National Police has roughly 9,000 officers on duty at a time for a country of more than 11 million people, according to the U.N. The officers are routinely overwhelmed and outgunned by powerful gangs estimated to control up to 80% of Port-au-Prince.
Prime Minister Ariel Henry was in Kenya on Thursday to push for the U.N.-backed deployment of police from the East African nation to fight gangs in Haiti.
Henry met with Kenyan President William Ruto to try and salvage the plan to deploy Kenyan police to Haiti. In January, Kenya's High Court ruled that the deployment was unconstitutional, in part because the original deal lacked reciprocal agreements between the two countries.
The U.S embassy in Port-au-Prince issued a security alert on Friday and temporarily halting travel of official U.S. personnel to the airport and instructing any U.S. personnel at the airport to remain there.
AP Video by Pierre Luxama
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[@mannyfoot8053]

Viv Guy Philippe

[@joeymc5272]

You bring a well organized mercenary group in their those gangs will piss their pants and retreat

[@jacintoarzu1939]

True but what’s wierd out of many black nations in the world I would say they are most militant

[@joeymc5272]

@@jacintoarzu1939lets see how they do against simple army or US marine corps. You don’t even need special forces for these idiots. They would crumble first site of true military power. These are gangs with weapons. Sorry but they getting mercd them moment an organized military shows up.

[@user-nf9yv3tg6c]

Vive haïti vive rèvolution vive prezidan Guy philippe

[@joeymc5272]

What so another corrupt gang leader can take over and not give up power? Stupid azz

[@user-qk9tr7sz9y]

Vive la revolution vive president guy