PORT-AU-PRINCE (AP) — A survivor of what may be the worst gang attack on journalists in Haitian history recounted seeing colleagues cut down as they reported on the reopening of Port-au-Prince's largest public hospital.
On Tuesday, gunfire erupted as members of the Viv Ansanm coalition of street gangs surrounded the hospital, unleashing shots through the metal gate. Two journalists and one police officer lost their lives, and seven journalists sustained injuries, with accounts from the scene highlighting the horrific nature of the violence.
“Some were hit in the chest,” photographer Jean Fregens Regala recalled, detailing the injuries suffered by his fellow reporters. “Some of the journalists had part of their face destroyed, some were shot in the mouth, or the head.”
Video footage captured from the location shows the panic as reporters attempted to find refuge from the barrage of bullets, with many scrambling toward the safety of the hospital.
“All the journalists started moving to go inside the hospital because we heard the gunfire getting close to us,” Regala said. He managed to escape the gunfire by sheltering behind a concrete guardhouse. “If I had rushed and ran, or ran inside the hospital to hide, I am sure I would have been among the victims.”
The scene was made even more tragic with reports of delayed medical assistance. Regala relayed the agony of waiting for help as colleagues lay bleeding without care. “We began calling for help,” he said. “There was no doctor or nurse around.”
According to Regala, the hospital was ill-prepared, lacking medical supplies necessary for first aid. “While the hospital was about to reopen, it had no medical supplies available for giving first aid to the journalist victims and the other victims,” he added, recapping the dire circumstances faced amid the chaos.
The Haitian police's response was delayed by nearly two hours. “These people spent more than an hour losing blood,” Regala stated. Police later arrived with equipment, but they had to climb over the wall from the nearby police station due to gang control over the streets.
Following the attack, the Haitian Association of Journalists demanded the government prioritize the safety of reporters. They stated: “Authorities to act prudently... exposing to danger the journalists and others who accompany them.”
Regala highlighted the risks associated with the event, emphasizing the dangerous environment surrounding the hospital: “When we made contact with the police, they told us they were not aware of the event, of the reopening of the hospital.”
Haiti's interim president, Leslie Voltaire, expressed his condolences to the victims. “I send my sympathies to the people who were victims, the national police, and the journalists,” he stated, underscoring the gravity of the situation.
What stands out is the troubling backdrop of gang violence permeated throughout Port-au-Prince, with reports indicating these gangs control around 85% of the area. This incident was part of a broader narrative where street gangs have increasingly threatened public safety.
Gang leader Johnson ‘Izo’ André acknowledged the violence through social media, claiming responsibility and stating, “The gang coalition had not authorized the hospital’s reopening.” This proclamation highlights the extent of gang dominance and their blatant disregard for safety protocols.
The grievous attack on journalists points to the pressing need for improved safety measures for reporters operating under perilous conditions, and the outcry for accountability from the government is more urgent than ever.
