Overview:
Hundreds of teachers and students took the streets of Cap-Haïtien to demand justice for Williamson Saint-Fleur, a public school teacher who was slapped and pushed by three police officers on Haitian Flag Day.
CAP-HAÏTIEN — In a city where police brutality has repeatedly stirred public outrage, hundreds of teachers, joined by some students, took to the streets Friday, demanding accountability for three unidentified police officers who assaulted fellow teacher Williamson Saint-Fleur during the Haitian Flag Day mass on May 18.
The protest, held in the center of Cap-Haïtien, urged the justice system to impose harsher penalties on the officers—members of the special unit associated with the Ministry of Tourism, known as POLITOUR—who slapped and shoved Saint-Fleur outside the cathedral after he and other educators demonstrated for better pay. Although the officers have reportedly faced internal discipline, demonstrators argue that it is insufficient, as residents criticize the authorities for failing to address the ongoing pattern of police abuse.
“As teachers, we want everything to be done with legality,” said Judlin Pierre, coordinator of the Platform of Engaged Teachers in the North (PENOR, per its French acronym). “The teacher was calmly leaving, and the officers had no right to push or slap him. He complied and obeyed.”
Pierre also called on the Haitian government to provide Saint-Fleur with reparations.
A growing movement of denunciation amid a pattern of abuse
According to eyewitness testimonies, Saint-Fleur, a chemistry teacher, and five other colleagues entered the cathedral with protest placards during the May 18 service, attended by members of the Transitional Presidential Council (CPT). As police demanded the group leave, Saint-Fleur initially refused but eventually began walking out—only to be slapped in the face by a POLITOUR officer.
“We’re waiting for the justice system to slice the barbaric act that happened. The teacher was calmly leaving, so the police officers had no right to push or slap him because he complied and obeyed the police officers.”
Judlin Pierre, teacher and union coordinator
Saint-Fleur responded by striking the officer back, prompting at least three officers to converge on him. Another officer managed to land another blow before members of the Departmental Law Enforcement Unit (UDMO) broke up the scuffle.
The altercation left the protesting teacher with a red eye and torn clothing. He has not responded to The Haitian Times’ requests for comment about the incident.
The violence has galvanized local educators and reignited longstanding frustrations with unchecked police aggression in Cap-Haïtien, where similar incidents have occurred in recent years.
Police misconduct is not new to Cap-Haïtien. In February 2024, officers assaulted the city’s attorney, Charles Durand, banging his head against a wall after a dispute over parking. Taxi drivers, especially moto-taxi operators, say they are frequently harassed and physically assaulted during routine traffic stops. In one widely reported case, an officer was seen directing traffic while holding an electrical cable used to whip civilians.
Friday’s protest added new voices to the growing movement against police abuse, including that of moto-taxi driver Jeffrey Jean, who joined the march after allegedly being struck by an officer earlier this month.
“They’re abusing a lot of taxi men out here,” Jean said. “The Haitian government needs to do something about that. Those men need to stop hurting us.”
Neither the Haitian National Police (PNH) nor the central government has publicly addressed the incident or the wider protest.
Chants for justice, calls for reform
In addition to denouncing the assault, protesters used the march to revive calls for overdue reforms in Haiti’s education system. Teachers have been protesting since January for regularized contracts, debit cards for payment, better working conditions and salary arrears.
Some placards during Friday’s demonstration read in Creole: “Olye yo bay nou nominasyon, kat debi, aryere salè, se bat yap bat nou,” meaning “Instead of hiring us, giving us debit cards or overdue salaries, they beat us.”
And inscriptions on others said: “Minis Augustin kalòt fè nou mal, nou mande jistis,” or “Minister Augustin, getting slapped hurts, we’re asking for justice.”
Protesters also sang chants like “Yo ban nou kou a, kou a fè nou mal o” — “They hit us, and it hurts.”
Educators say they won’t stop protesting until justice is served and Saint-Fleur receives reparations. In the eyes of demonstrators, the May 18 incident is more than an isolated act—it’s a symbol of how public servants, especially teachers, continue to be undervalued and mistreated in Haiti.
“I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again—the city attorney needs to act against the three POLITOUR officers,” said Jerry Joseph, a biology teacher and activist. “This shocked our society and shook the country.”