Haiti: Demonstration in Port-au-Prince August 22 /update 1

Event

Various sociopolitical organizations are holding an anti-government demonstration around the Champ de Mars on Wednesday, August 22, which will coincide with the 227th anniversary of Haiti’s slave uprising. The protest will denounce corruption, injustice, and the “inhumane conditions” that many Haitians live in. Demonstrators will march from the Héros de l’Indépendance statue to the statue of the Marron Inconnu (the unknown runaway slave).

All protests in Haiti, even smaller ones, have the potential to disrupt daily life as they often involve roadblocks and/or violence.

Context

This is the latest in a series of anti-governmental protests called for by various social and political groups for August 10, 14, 17, 22, and 29. Numerous demonstrations have been held in recent months to demand the resignation of President Jovenel Moïse, the liberation of people arrested during violent unrest that broke out July 6-8, and the arrest of individuals implicated in the Pétro Caribe corruption scandal.

Advice

Individuals in Haiti are advised to monitor the situation and strictly avoid all protests and associated roadblocks due to the likelihood of violence.