Gang violence sparks in Haiti amid Henry's Kenya visit

(Recasts with violent spark in Haiti) PORT-AU-PRINCE, Feb 29 (Reuters) - A wave of panic swept through downtown Port-au-Prince on Thursday amid an outburst of violence marked by heavy gunfire and improvised barricades, for which a gang leader took responsibility saying it is a demonstration against authorities.

(Recasts with violent spark in Haiti) PORT-AU-PRINCE, Feb 29 (Reuters) -

A wave of panic swept through downtown Port-au-Prince on Thursday amid an outburst of violence marked by heavy gunfire and improvised barricades, for which a gang leader took responsibility saying it is a demonstration against authorities. The violent events took place on the same day Haiti's Prime Minister Ariel Henry arrived in Kenya for talks on the deployment of a multinational security mission in the country backed by the United Nations.

By midday, most institutions and businesses in the city had closed and thousands of people commuted back home in public transit or walking to seek shelter, according to local witnesses. Haitian airline Sunrise Airways halted flights as violence flared in Haiti, a company spokesperson said, adding shootouts near the capital's airport had put people in danger.

"We have chosen to take our destiny in our own hands. The battle we are waging will not only topple the Ariel government. It is a battle that will change the whole system," said former cop and gang leader Jimmy Cherizier, also known as Barbecue.