Human rights organizations documented a significant increase in reports of police brutality during the October 2020 protests in Haiti, with the UN human rights monitoring mission in Haiti recording 184 cases of human rights violations and abuses by police in the first eight months of the year alone. The pattern of excessive force that had characterized the response to the 2019 protest wave appeared to be repeating itself in 2020, with similar documented consequences for demonstrators.
Incidents documented by human rights monitors included indiscriminate use of tear gas in residential areas, the firing of live ammunition into crowds, beatings of detained demonstrators, and the excessive force used to disperse protests that were non-violent. In several incidents, people who were not participating in protests — bystanders, journalists, residents of affected areas — reported being subjected to police action.
The UN human rights office called on the Haitian government to investigate all reports of excessive force, discipline officers found responsible, and implement clear protocols for the management of public protests that complied with international standards. They emphasized that the right to peaceful protest was guaranteed under Haitian law and international conventions that Haiti had ratified.
The government acknowledged some incidents but disputed the broader characterization of systematic police brutality, arguing that security forces were managing a difficult and sometimes violent security environment. Human rights organizations responded that the documented pattern of incidents went beyond isolated cases and reflected inadequate training, supervision, and accountability within the police institution.