[News] Emergency Demonstration for Haiti

[News at freedomarchives.org]

Emergency Demonstration

Break the Silence - Tell the Truth About HAITI

Take Your ANGER to BUSH and POWELL

Protest the U.S.-Led Occupation of HAITI

Thursday, October 28, 2004
4:30 p.m. Gather at Powell & Market
5:00 p.m. March on Bush and Powell

BRING DRUMS, POTS AND PANS TO MAKE NOISE

The Haitian people steadfastly demand the return of President Jean Bertrand 
Aristide since the culmination of the U.S.-sponsored coup on February 
29th.  The U.S.-appointed Latortue government has responded by jailing 
hundreds of Lavalas supporters, including leading activists and several 
members of the former government. These political prisoners have been 
illegally detained for months in appalling conditions - none have been tried.

On September 30, tens of thousands of Lavalas supporters marched in 
Port-au-Prince & Cap-Haitian to mark the anniversary of the previous coup 
from 1991-4.  Units from the National Police fired on these peaceful 
demonstrations while United Nations "peacekeepers" stood by and did 
nothing.  The next morning, de facto Prime Minister Gerard Latortue boasted 
at a press conference: "We opened fire on demonstrators; some of them have 
been killed, others injured, and still others fled."

Two days later, three leaders of Lavalas were arrested at Radio Caraibe 
after criticizing the interim government on air.  On Wednesday, October 13 
authorities arrested and roughed-up Father Jean-Juste - a beloved priest, 
activist and pacifist -- while he served 600 hungry children in his 
parish.   Hundreds more have been arrested and many dozens killed just in 
the past two weeks.

As of October 15, the tenth anniversary of Aristide's return from the 
previous coup, the popular neighborhoods such as Cite Soleil and Bel Air 
are under siege by the police -- augmented by the hated former military, as 
well as U.N. troops.
While these deadly attacks continued, U.S. State Department chief-spokesman 
Richard Boucher absurdly blamed Lavalas supporters for this state-sponsored 
violence, calling on their movement to "break with [its] legacy of violence 
and criminality."  The message is clear: "Haitians no longer have human 
rights."

The people of Haiti will not back down.  They will defend their 
neighborhoods.  They will not give up their demand to return to the 
constitutional, elected government under President Aristide.

The People of HAITI Need Your SOLIDARITY Now More Than Ever.

To Donate or For More Information, CONTACT the HAITI ACTION COMMITTEE:
www.haitiaction.net               haitiaction at yahoo.com 
510.483.7481


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