Gunfire as thousands march against gangs in Haiti

Gunfire erupted as thousands of protesters in Port-au-Prince clashed with police on Wednesday as they denounced a surge in gang violence and demanded that the government keep them safe.

At least a dozen heavily armed protesters opened fire on officers who responded outside the offices of the prime minister and the transitional presidential council. 

The protest began peacefully. Some demonstrators brandished machetes while others clutched tree boughs or waved palm fronds as they weaved through the streets of the capital, where schools, banks and other businesses remained closed.

"We, the residents of the Solino neighborhood, want to return home, and we will go home," said a protester.

The protest comes days after a mass jailbreak in the central town of Mirebalais.