Hundreds Protest in Jacmel Over Deadly Seguin Gang Attacks; Schools and Businesses Shut Down

Hundreds of residents of Jacmel, the capital of Haiti's Sud-Est department and one of the country's most culturally significant cities, staged a major demonstration on April 15, 2026, shutting down schools, businesses, and government offices in protest against the gang attacks that devastated Seguin (Marigot commune) on April 13–14. At least eight people were killed and more than 4,000 displaced in those attacks, which destroyed the local police station. Protesters blocked streets and demanded emergency security interventions from the Haitian government, calling the attacks 'orchestrated' violence by the Viv Ansanm coalition with intent to extend gang territorial control to the south. Local organizations condemned what they described as the government's and international community's systematic failure to prevent gang expansion. Jacmel, a relatively tourist-friendly coastal city known for its colonial architecture, carnival tradition, and art scene, had been shielded from the worst of Haiti's security collapse — the Seguin attacks shattered that perception. Mayor René Danneau of Marigot was among those publicly demanding intervention.