One Journalist killed, two more injured as Haiti police open fire on protesters

Hundreds of protesters gathered seeking a higher minimum wage than the one approved by Prime Minister Ariel Henry.

According to a union leader and Reuters witness present, a passing vehicle fired fire on protesters. Dominique St Eloi, a union leader who was there at the moment said it had been calm till the police began shooting from the vehicle.

"I deplore the death of journalist Lazard Maximilien, during the workers' protests Wednesday," said Prime Minister Ariel Henry on Twitter.

The Haitian photojournalist, also known as Maxihen Lazzare, worked for the online media outlet "Rois des infos."

Henry also condemned "the violence that caused multiple injuries" during the demonstration. 

Two other journalists were wounded when they were shot by men whose faces were covered and were driving a car without license plates, according to an AFP photographer.

It is not certain that the journalists were targeted for their work in the media.

Before the shooting, police had used tear gas to try and push back protesters who were throwing stones.

Thousands had gathered for the third day of protests, barricading one of the Haitian capital's main arteries with piles of burning tires.

Haiti on Monday hiked the minimum wage by as much as 54% following weeks of demonstrations by garment workers who said their wages did not keep up with the rising cost of living.

The protesters on Wednesday were mostly from the garment sector, which exports finished products to US retailers. Those workers received a 37% increase that took their wages to just under $7.50 a day - half what union leaders had demanded.

It was not evident why the shots were fired. A spokesman for Haiti’s National police did not reply to a request for comment immediately. 

The country’s main manufacturing trade group, Association of Industries of Haiti (ADIH) announced closure on Thursday of clothing factories at industrial park near where the shooting took place.

The group condemned the shooting and said the closure was intended “to protect their workers and their equipment.”