It was born out of collective frustration and helplessness, springing to life in a shocking act of violence: a botched raid on a gang stronghold in a Port-au-Prince slum that left at least four Haitian police officers dead, another missing, and their armored vehicles and high-caliber automatic weapons seized.

Within hours of the ill-fated Friday operation in the Village de Dieu, or Village of God slum, the hashtag #FreeHaiti emerged, riding a wave of anger as videos showed gang members dragging the bodies of two slain cops.

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