[News] Haiti: Opposition threats to schools

[News at freedomarchives.org]

Violent attack by the opposition political coalition against the efforts of 
schools to stay open: at least five schools are attacked and threatened 
with arson



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Port-au-Prince, January 19, 2004 -(AHP)- Supporters of the opposition 
coalition stoned the facilities of the  Collège Saint-François d'Assise and 
the Collège Gérard Gourgue on Monday to prevent the schools from functioning.

Several students were struck by rocks thrown by demonstrators who said they 
wanted to utilize all available means to prevent students from attending 
school until the government is ousted.

The violence is part of a campaign against the schools that has been 
launched by senior leadership of the political coalition directed by 
business leader André Apaid Junior .

Along those lines, Evans Paul, also known as Kompe Plim, Secretary General 
of the Convention Unité Démocratique (Democratic Unity Convention) 
reaffirmed Sunday that the political platform is determined to bring school 
activities, and even hospitals to a standstillacross the country.

The important thing, he said, is to oust President Aristide.

In this context, threats of arson attacks were made against several private 
and parochial that had been open to receive students.

The portal of the Collège Marie-Anne of the Sisters of Sainte-Annne as well 
as the portals of two other schools were set on fire Monday mnorning in the 
Christ Roy district by supporters of the opposition. Two schools have 
already been set on fire in Léogane (30 km south of the capital) since the 
beginning of this campaign against school classes.

Josué Mérilien, the Secretary General of the Union Nationale des Normaliens 
Haïtiens (National Union of Haitian Teachers in Training) read off a list 
of schools Monday morning that must close their doors or else face reprisals.

The schools are the Collège Canado-Haïtien (the congregation of the 
Brothers of the Sacred Heart), the Collège Saint-Louis de Gonzague (FIC), 
the Seminaire Saint-Martial (run by the Holy Ghost Fathers), the Collège 
Saint-François d'Assise, the Lycée Français, and the Union School.

One of the schools, the Collège des Soeurs de Saint-Francois d'Assise, was 
stoned Monday morning. Demonstrators who took refuge at a building of one 
of the universities located in the area are accused of having thrown tear 
gas inside the school.

The incident took place at the moment when the police who were present at 
the scene were speaking to journalists.

Many parents who rushed to the school in a panic denounced those they 
referred to as hooligans who are trying to take the school hostage and who 
are preventing the students from receiving the benefit of teaching.

One of the directors of the Collège Saint-Francois d'Assise, Father 
Nicolas, said that the media is spreading too many lies. Some media 
organizations had incorrectly reported that the school had been set on fire.

The demonstration, which was cut short, began with an attack against 
several schools that was launched by Josué Mérilen and the Secretary 
General of the Confederation of Haitian Educators, Lavaud Frédéric.

While this was taking place, a group in Port-de-Paix, including members of 
the opposition platform, students from the  Tertulien Guilbaud High School 
and the Collège Lesly Docteur, took to the streets Monday demanding that 
schools be closed.

The majority of schools has resisted the onslaught of the opposition 
demonstrators and continue to offer classes.



AHP January 19, 2004  12:10 PM

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