Downtown Saint-Marc has been gripped by scenes of violence since Saturday, May 3, 2026. Unidentified individuals, masked and armed with sticks, machetes, and pickaxes, spontaneously took over National Road No. 1 and adjacent streets, claiming to be acting “to force the commune to show solidarity with the locality of Jean-Denis,” which has in recent days been the victim of repeated massacres carried out by the Gran Grif gang of Savien and Kokorat San Ras.

Public services have been targeted, financial institutions have suffered serious attacks, educational establishments have received threats, and vendors in the public market have been forced to return home. The downtown area is cluttered with burning tires, vehicle carcasses, and barricades made of tables and wooden trestles.