According to the Haitian rights groups Center of Analysis and Research in Human Rights (CARDH) and Fondasyon Je Klere, at least seven people were killed during a gang attack against a protest organized by a church leader. The groups claim that the gang discharged machine guns into the crowds in Canaan, a town located outside the capital Port-au-Prince.
These statements come from a media report aired on Saturday. The director of CARDH, Gédéon Jean, has indicated to the press that the final victim count is likely to be higher, as reports include information about ten wounded individuals and multiple churchgoers being kidnapped.
The protest was organized in response to escalating gang violence in the region. This issue has grown more prominent recently, as seen in a UN spokesperson’s call for action earlier this month due to rising levels of lynchings. Since the beginning of this year, the region witnessed at least 2,439 killings, 902 injuries, and 951 kidnappings.
Local press has referred to the violence as a ‘predictable massacre’ due to the tension between gangs, led by a person known only as ‘Jeff’, and followers of Pastor Marcorel Zidor, also known as ‘Pastor Marco’. This reporting includes content from Haiti24.
Much of the reporting around this attack was disseminated through social media platforms like X (formerly Twitter). Videos shared on these platforms revealed the lifeless bodies and the unprecedented cruelty of bandits that intentionally filmed this violence, stating it confirms the failure of the protest.
Jean points the blame at Pastor Marco, who decided to stand against the gang members with his congregation. He argues that confronting an armed gang with a group armed only with machetes led to the resulting violence. The full account can be read on JURIST – News.