[News] Lavalas Braves Climate of Terror to March
News at freedomarchives.org
News at freedomarchives.org
Wed Sep 15 08:59:26 EDT 2004
Lavalas Braves Climate of Terror to March and Demand for Aristide's Return
http://www.haitiaction.net/News/HIP/9_11_4.html
September 11th is a date well-fixed in the consciousness of progressive
Haitians. It marks the anniversary of a brutal massacre in Aristide's
former parish of St Jean Bosco in 1988 as well as the anniversary of the
slaying of Lavalas supporter Antoine Izmery in 1993. To honor the victims
and demand the restoration of democracy to Haiti, thousands of Lavalas
activists took the streets this September 11th and braved the climate of
terror that has gripped the country.
As expected, not a single journalist from the corporate media turned up to
cover the event despite the huge turnout. Michael Ottey of the Miami Herald
would have done well to show up and see that his contacts in Haiti have
been feeding him disinformation. On Aug. 29th Ottey wrote in the Miami
Herald, "In Port-au-Prince neighborhoods such as Cité Soleil and Bel Aire
both Aristide strongholds weapons abound. At times brandishing weapons,
Aristide loyalists have recently launched demonstrations from there,
demanding his return." Mr. Ottey would do well to take note that at the
September 11th demonstration demanding Aristide's return there was not a
single weapon present among the marchers. In fact, during the last five
demonstrations HIP has covered extensively there was never a single weapon
"brandished". There was however one violent incident on September 11th
when shots rang out towards the peaceful march from behind the walls of the
Office of Assurance National on Delmas 17. Units of the Haitian National
Police responded with force and the march was allowed to continue in peace.
Marchers immediately took up the chant, "Down with the former military.
Long Live CIMO!!" Mr. Ottey would know this if he ever took the time to
come to Haiti instead of relying upon phone calls to unrealiable observers.
The peaceful march started at St. Jean Bosco church and then moved up
Delmas and crossed over to Avenue John Brown to protest in front of the
United Nations Operations Headquarters. Demonstrators then massed in front
of a heavily armed contigent of Brazilian soldiers protecting the facility
and began chanting, "Lula, return President Aristide today!!". The
expression on the faces of the Brazilians showed that they were totally
caught off guard by the demand. Signs proliferating the demonstration
included, "Down with terrorist George Bush" and "Long Live Kerry"
representing the sentiment that Bush was responsible for kidnapping
President Aristide on February 29th of this year.
The march then headed over to Jean Paul 2nd Avenue and stopped in front of
the church yard where Father Jan-Marie Vincent is buried. In front of the
grave they chanted "Justice for Jan-Marie Vincent!!" This was in clear
reference to the aquittal of Jackson Joanis for the murder of Antoine
Izmery. Joanis is also accused of murdering Father Vincent. From there the
march headed down to the front of Sacre Coeur church and the monument
honoring Antoine and George Izmery who were both murdered by opponents to
Lavalas. A speech was given by a representative of Lavalas calling upon the
defacto regime of Gerard Latortue to "have the decency to maintain
justice" and condemning the U.S.-installed regime for "freeing murderers
and thugs." When the marchers finally arrived in front of the national
palace their access was blocked by large numbers of heavily armed Brazilian
soldiers. Marchers ranckled at the image of an occupied Haiti where the
current government is more loyal to the dictates of the U.S. and the
so-called international community than it is to the democratic will of its
own people.
AHP News - More than 10,000 members of Fanmi Lavalas demonstrate in
Port-au-Prince calling for an end to acts of terror throughout the world
and a return to democratic order
Port-au-Prince, September 13, 2004 (AHP)- Roughly 10,000 members and
supporters of Fanmi Lavalas demonstrated Saturday in Port-au-Prince in
observance of the 16th anniversary of the St-Jean Bosco massacre, calling
for an end to acts of terror in Haiti and around the world.
The Saint-Jean Bosco massacre left dozens dead and injured and was carried
out under the military government of Henry Namphy by thugs attached to the
Port-au-Prince city hall supported by the Haitian armed forces.
The demonstrators, calling for the return of democratic government, which
was interrupted on February 29, 2004, and for an end to political
persecution, marched through several streets in the capital chanting
slogans hostile to the interim government and to the foreign forces in the
country.
They condemned the acts of terror committed on this day in history,
September 11th, in Chili, in Haiti and in the United States, and reaffirmed
their determination to fight for a Haiti where justice and peace rule.
The demonstrators renewed their support for President Aristide and called
for his physical return to Haiti.
One incident marred this peaceful protest when gunfire erupted from the
building housing ONA, the National Insurance Agency, as the demonstration
passed through Delmas.
The demonstrators also denounced a plot they say was hatched at a foreign
embassy to try to discredit Lavalas activists who remain incarcerated.
Under this alleged plot, people would be paid to come forward claiming to
be witnesses to a so-called sacrifice they would say was carried out in the
presence of President Aristide.
According to demonstrators Claudy Sidney and Jean Marie Samedy, this plot
aims at justifying the detention of Lavalas activist Annette Auguste in
order that she remain in prison as long as possible.
The Freedom Archives
522 Valencia Street
San Francisco, CA 94110
(415) 863-9977
www.freedomarchives.org
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