Port-au-Prince, Friday 3 July 2026 – The Executive Committee of the Student Council of the Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy/School of Biomedical Sciences and Optometry (FMP-EBM-EO) of the State University of Haiti (UEH) has strongly condemned the violence that occurred during the peaceful protest organized on Wednesday 1 July 2026.
In an official statement issued the following day, the student organization denounced acts of intimidation that left several victims, including one student wounded by gunfire.
According to the condemnation note, the students were demonstrating to demand the temporary relocation of the State University of Haiti Hospital (HUEH), the main clinical training center for future physicians and healthcare professionals. The Central Committee considers that the violence perpetrated against the protesters constitutes a serious violation of the students’ right to advocate for adequate training conditions.
During the mobilization, student Milot Exantus was struck by a projectile on his right forearm. Two other students, identified as Wendy and Louis-Cendeur Massenard, were also reportedly assaulted. The Executive Committee asserts that these acts are part of a pattern of intimidation aimed at silencing what it considers a legitimate demand.
“Such an attempt shall not undermine our determination, which remains full and unshakable,” reads the statement signed by the Executive Committee President, Esdras Paul.
The student organization specifies, however, that Milot Exantus is now out of danger after receiving the necessary medical care. It also expresses solidarity with all students who participated in the march, deeply affected by the events.
The protest began in front of the Rectorate of the State University of Haiti before heading toward the official residence of Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé, where the students hoped to submit their demands. Throughout the route, protesters carried placards calling for the reopening of HUEH in a space capable of accommodating all its services, in order to allow the continuation of their practical training and improve the population’s access to healthcare.
According to several testimonies reported by the organizers, the march was interrupted on Bourdon Road, where law enforcement officers used tear gas to disperse the demonstrators. Shortly afterward, an armed individual traveling in a vehicle reportedly opened fire toward the crowd, wounding Milot Exantus. The scene triggered a panic before students transported their fellow student to a hospital. Barricades were later erected on the roadway as a sign of protest.
In a statement issued Thursday 2 July, the Communication Directorate of the Haitian National Police (DICOP) indicated that the PNH High Command had opened an investigation to identify the shooter. According to police, the driver of a green Nissan Xterra vehicle bearing license plate AA-13359 allegedly attempted to cross the procession before firing several shots into the air after his vehicle had been damaged.
The National Police stated that formal instructions had been given to identify the shooter, determine the exact circumstances of the incident, and establish the nature of the student’s injuries. It assures that this case will not go unpunished, while reminding protest organizers of their obligation to comply with legal provisions governing public gatherings.
For its part, the Student Executive Committee reaffirms its determination to continue mobilization until a temporary and dignified relocation of HUEH is achieved. It announces that the faculty community will be informed of further actions to be taken in the coming days.
It should be recalled that members of the Haitian National Police had used tear gas on Monday 22 June 2026 to disperse a protest organized by several dozen students of the Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy of the State University of Haiti. The demonstration took place in front of the Prime Minister’s official residence in Musseau, in the commune of Delmas. Through this mobilization, the protesters demanded the immediate reopening of the State University of Haiti Hospital, commonly known as the “General Hospital,” which has been closed since attacks by armed groups on 29 February 2024.
By Marie Farah Fortuné and Darbouze Figaro
