Dozens of medical students in Haiti marched to demand the reopening of the University Hospital of Haiti, which has been closed due to gang violence. Police fired live bullets into the crowd, injuring at least one student.
The protest highlights the severe impact of gang violence on Haiti's healthcare system and the risks faced by citizens seeking essential services. The police response to a peaceful student demonstration raises concerns about state security forces' conduct amid ongoing instability.
Medical students in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, marched on Wednesday to demand the government reopen the University Hospital of Haiti, a major public facility closed since 2024 due to gang violence. Donning white coats, the students marched from their university to the prime minister's office, where anti-riot police blocked their advance. An Associated Press journalist witnessed a police officer fire live bullets into the air and at the crowd, hitting at least one student in the arm. Students reported that police also used tear gas. Esdras Paul, president of the council of the faculty of medicine, condemned the police actions, stating that students were victims of live ammunition during a peaceful demonstration. The closure of the General Hospital, as it is also known, has strained resources at other health institutions and deprived an estimated 4.4 million people of healthcare, with about 70% of public health facilities shuttered last year due to gang violence. Medical students had previously protested for the same reason, facing tear gas from police.