[News] Haiti: protest US led occupation TODAY

[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 – none have been tried.

Undaunted, tens of thousands of Lavalas supporters marched in 
Port-au-Prince and Cap-Haitian on September 30 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 October 2 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 
were 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 from the Latortue government 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.

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


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