The Haitian community in Jacksonville demands urgent action on the ongoing gang violence crisis

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Haitians in Jacksonville urged leaders to do more to help their community Thursday after the United Nations released new information saying gang violence in Haiti has killed over 1,500 people so far this year.

Late last month, that violence increased when Haitian gangs had a series of coordinated attacks across the country’s capital, Port-au-Prince. This eventually led to the government declaring a state of emergency.

“Take action. That’s what we need now. Take action,” said Booz Paul, a member of the Jacksonville Haitian community.

Paul said he wants more to be done in Haiti, especially as gangs continue to cause turmoil in the country.

“Lots of people losing their lives,” Paul said.

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According to a report from the United Nations, from January to March 22, a total of 1,554 people were killed by gang violence in Haiti.

Pierre Paul, Booz and other members of the Haitian community gathered Thursday morning to discuss what’s going on in the country.

“Let’s not forget our duty to be stewards of humanity,” Pierre said.

They said they don’t like how the US is handling the conflict and didn’t like recent comments from Gov. Ron DeSantis about sending Haitians who come to Florida to Martha’s Vineyard.

“It’s inhumane,” Pierre said.

The group said they would like the United States to send some ships to Haiti to help take out thousands of people who are in harm’s way and bring them to Florida to potentially put them in hotels as well as around the country.

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The group also said they have reached out to state and local leaders to help get change. They’ve also reached out to the head of the Catholic Church, with the hopes they’ll reach out to the governor who’s a practicing Catholic, and help him have a change of heart with letting Haitian refugees into the state.

“He needs to show more compassion than what he’s doing,” Pastor Reginal Gundy said.

The group said they haven’t heard from the Vatican or other local leaders yet, but hope to soon.

“We are asking the international community now to do things differently in terms of getting this country back on its feet,” Pierre said.