Haiti - FLASH : The Group «Fantôme 509» sows terror in the capital
On Friday, November 20, armed men wearing balaclavas and others in police uniform claiming to be members of the "Phantom 509" Group accompanied by a procession of several dozen motorcycles with armed men on board, demonstrated violently, shooting numerous shots and bursts of automatic weapons, setting fire to and vandalizing state vehicles, sowing terror and causing panic among the population in several districts of the capital in the city center, but also in Delmas and Pétion-ville. People deserted the streets and the shops closed their doors and lowered their curtains and protective grilles.
The demonstrators demanded for each police officer a salary of 50,000 Gourdes per month (currently the average salary is between 15,000 and 20,000 Gdes) as well as an amount of 25,000 Gourdes on each debit card instead of the current 10,000 Gdes.
The provisional report indicates a dozen vehicles burned down, including 7 registered "State Service" and a freight truck, as well as numerous acts of vandalism.
Reacting to this umpteenth violent demonstration by the "Phantom 509" Group, Prime Minister Joseph Jouthe appealed for calm and demanded the arrest of the members of this Group, doubting that they are the police "[..] we must not tolerate that vagabonds, terrorists, bandits who dress in police uniforms take the country hostage [...] all these bandits must be arrested."
