[News] City by City Calendar of Events - Feb 29 Haiti Solidarity Day
Anti-Imperialist News
news at freedomarchives.org
Fri Feb 29 11:41:56 EST 2008
[]
City-by-city Calendar of Events
56 actions in 47 cities for Haiti
END the foreign military occupation!
FREE the political prisoners!
RETURN Aristide and democracy to Haiti!
America, the Caribbean, Europe and North America
-- are organizing for the International Day in
Solidarity with the Haitian People on or around
February 29th. They are planning street protests
and marches, vigils, film showings and public
meetings -- all in support of the Haitian
people's struggle for self-determination,
democracy and justice. Everywhere, new people
are becoming involved, inspired by the resistance
of the people in Haiti. Many cities and towns in
Haiti will be taking part in activities marking
the 4th anniversary of the Feb. 29, 2004 coup d'etat in Haiti.
47 cities with 1 message: "Self-determination for the Haitian People!"
Activities planned as part of the Feb. 29th
International Day of Solidarity with the Haitian People include:
Durban, South Africa - Abahlali baseMjondolo, the
South African shack dwellers movement, will be
hosting a film screening of the new short film
What's Going on in Haiti? at the Kennedy Road
shack settlement, 5:30 pm Friday, Feb. 29, 2008,
as part of the International Day in Solidarity
with the Haitian People. Followed by a discussion
in English and isiZulu. All welcome. <http://www.abahlali.org>www.abahlali.org
Last year's action, in the Kennedy Road shanty
town, was held in February 2007 "in support of
Haitian shack dwellers," in particular those
living in "the massive shack settlement of Cite
Soleil (Sun City)," according to their statement.
The meeting was well planned. Four days before,
Abahlali held an all-night meeting "at which this
small gesture of solidarity was discussed with
representatives from all of the 34 settlements
affiliated to the movement. There was tremendous
enthusiasm and a hope that ongoing networks of
solidarity could be developed between shack
dwellers under pressure in different countries."
Here is a participant's description of last
year's event in Durban [held at Kennedy Rd
because no other settlement had electricity]:
"Just got back from an amazing event in the
Kennedy Road settlement. Taxis don't run after
the commuter rush but the hall, which takes 300
people, was close to full. People came from all
over the city although most had to spend the
night in Kennedy Road because there was not
transport home." Organizers commented on people's
reaction on seeing video footage of two UN
attacks in Cite Soleil -- the July 6, 2005
massacre in Bois Neuf/Drouillard and an Aug. 24,
2006 raid in Simond Pele: "The visuals of the
[UN] soldiers moving into the settlements [in
Cite Soleil], blocking the exits etc are images
that look strikingly like what has happened in
settlements here [in South Africa] last year in
response to mass mobilisation, although of course
people are very rarely killed here. When the
films were finished there was a forest of arms up
for people wanting to discuss the films. The
discussion was excellent and very enthusiastic
and focused on how democratic national
democracies could actually be in this world, why
local and international agencies supposed to be
'on the side of the people' (from local NGOs to
the UN) so ruthlessly and relentlessly stigmatize
the politics of the poor as criminal. A few
people in the hall had, despite a lack of access
to all electronic media, been managing to follow
the situation quite closely since Aristide was
removed from office. People were tremendously
excited to have been able to be part of the
global day of action. Although the Haitian story
is very depressing there is something encouraging
in knowing that you are not alone and that the
long fight back continues elsewhere." [For photos
of the 2007 event in Durban, go to
<http://www.haitisolidarity.net>www.haitisolidarity.net ]
Montreal, Quebec - Demonstration in downtown
Montreal at 5 pm Friday, Feb. 29 in front of the
Guy Favreau complex, 200 Boulevard Rene Levesque
Ouest (metro Place des Arts), called by Baz Fanmi
Lavalas Montreal, which issued the following
communique: "The objective of this demonstration
is to remind the three kidnapping countries (the
US, France and Canada) that the odious and
dishonest act that they committed in Haiti four
years ago, has never been accepted by the Haitian
people, and will never be accepted by them. On
February 29, 2004 the US, France and Canada
kidnapped the democratically elected President of
Haiti, Jean-Bertrand Aristide. The Feb. 29th
demonstrations are an opportunity for all
Haitians and friends of Haiti living in Canada to
contribute to the resistance struggle of the
people in Haiti against the foreign occupation." Info: 514-572-8916
Berkeley, California - Protesters will gather
7:30 AM on Friday, Feb. 29 at the Marine
Recruiting Station, 64 Shattuck Square, Berkeley,
to "shine a light on the role of US Marines in
Haiti." The flyer for the protest, sponsored by
the Haiti Action Committee, states: "Four years
after the Feb. 29, 2004 US/French coup in
Haiti...Four years after US Marines seized
Haiti's capital and installed a US-appointed coup
regime -- Haiti is still under foreign military
occupation, marked by rapes and wanton killings
of the poor. Since the coup Haiti faces growing
hunger, unemployment and a spiraling cost of
living. Haiti's jails are still filled with
political prisoners and the poor -- while the
coup plotters & paramilitary death squads enjoy
impunity." Protesters will pass out information
about the US Marines' earlier invasion and
occupation of Haiti from 1915 to 1934. They will
also highlight how US Marines conducted a
midnight raid on the home of Haitian people's
leader and singer So' Anne in May 2004, two
months after the coup. So' Anne had been a key
organizer for the upcoming Flag Day
demonstrations against the coup and occupation,
and for the return of kidnapped President
Aristide. The Marines shot off the lock on So'
Anne's gate, shot dead her dog, and arrested So'
Anne and some small children; So' Anne spent the
next two years in prison. *** See Fact Sheet on US Marines in Haiti, below.
New York City - Picket line Friday, Feb. 29 from
2 to 6 pm at the Consulate General of Haiti, at
271 Madison Avenue (between 39th & 40th Sts.) in
Manhattan, in support of the 7 demands of the
February 29th day of action for Haiti. In
addition, the demonstration will "demand that the
diplomats appointed by the 2004 coup regime, who
are mostly still in their posts, be replaced
immediately. These include first and foremost NY
Consul General Felix Augustin and Ambassador to
the US Raymond Joseph, who were both officers and
founders of a certain 'Committee to Save the
Country' which called on Colin Powell to
militarily intervene to remove Aristide from
power (which was in fact finally done), as well
as Duly Brutus, Ambassador to the UN." Sponsors:
Fanmi Lavalas, Haiti Support Network, KAKOLA,
Internat'l Action Center, Answer Coalition-NY,
December 12th Movement. Info: 718-421-0162 or
347-697-9234 or 917-251-6057. In addition, there
will be a New York City screening of two DVDs
documenting with live footage the UN massacres in
Cite Soleil (location and time TBA).
Georgetown, Guyana - The Red Thread women's
organization in this South American country will
organize an event in the capital as part of the
Feb. 29th global day of action for Haiti, for the second year in a row.
Here is a report on last year's demonstration in
Guyana: "On Feb. 7, 2007 Red Thread women
organized a vibrant, noisy lunch time picket
across the street from the office of the United
Nations Development Programme in Georgetown in
solidarity with Haiti. We were Afro-Guyanese,
Indo-Guyanese and mixed race; the oldest was in
her 70s. Representatives of two political
parties, a trade union grouping and an
African-Guyanese cultural organisation joined us.
Our banner read 'International Day in Solidarity
with Haiti, UN Forces out of Haiti'. Placards
said 'Grassroots women in Guyana in solidarity
with grassroots women in Haiti' and 'Guyana in
solidarity with Site Soley'. They chanted: 'Stop
the massacres/ now', 'Stop sexual abuse/ now',
'Free political prisoners/ now'. Later we crossed
the road in single file, stopping traffic, and
stood directly on the pavement in front of the
entrance of the UN office. As we reached the
entrance, participants got more excited and the
chanting was even louder: 'UN troops/ out of
Haiti!' " [For photos of the 2007 event in
Guyana, go to <http://www.haitisolidarity.net>www.haitisolidarity.net ]
"Why we should always act in solidarity with the
poor majority in Haiti" was the headline on
flyers passed out by the Red Thread women's
organization at last year's protest. The flyer
said: "Every time we hear news about Haiti we
hear that it is the poorest country in the
Caribbean, a country where there is always
fighting. No one tells us why Haiti is poor and
what the fighting is about. Here is the basic truth:
"The fighting in Haiti is part of a 200-year
fight for freedom. The Haitian people were the
first to abolish slavery. They won the first
successful slave revolution in history, defeating
France, Britain and Spain. Haiti also gave direct
aid to other people fighting for their freedom.
For example, it supplied Bolivar, the liberator
of Venezuela and other South American countries,
with ships and supplies to overthrow Spanish rule
and helped train some of Bolivar’s soldiers. All
Haiti asked was that Bolivar fight to free the
slaves in South America. The 2004 coup against
elected President Jean-Bertrand Aristide was the
latest action in the 200-year-old effort by the
old and new colonial powers to defeat Haiti’s struggle to be free.
"Haiti is poor because it has always been
punished for fighting for freedom. This started
when the colonial powers, furious about the
Haitian people’s victory over slavery, made them
pay those who had owned and exploited them in
order for their new government to get
international recognition. Backed by the US,
France forced Haiti to pay 150 million francs in
gold as “reparations” to former plantation and
slave owners, as well as for the costs of the
war. It is estimated that French bankers and big
business alone owe Haiti at least 21 billion US
dollars for the forced debt it took Haiti 120 years to pay off.
"The old and new colonial powers have always been
determined to defeat the Black people of
Haiti...But the Haitian grassroots have never
given up the fight against foreign powers and the
local exploiters and dictators these powers
support. The organization calling for the
February 7 protests – Fondasyon Trant Septanm -
is an example of their unbreakable spirit; it is
an 11-year old organization of victims of the
1991 and 2004 coups in Haiti who have chosen the
anniversary of the overthrow of one Haitian
dictator, “Baby Doc” Duvalier, to march to demand
respect for Haiti’s sovereignty. We picket in solidarity with them."
Dublin, Ireland - Solidarity picket Feb. 29 at
the Brazilian Embassy, initiated by the Latin
American Solidarity Centre, for the second year
in a row. This focus was chosen because Brazil's
military commands the 9,000-soldier United
Nations military force still occupying Haiti.
At last year's protest, people held up a large
photo of a pregnant woman who lost her baby when
she was shot in the stomach by UN bullets during
the December 22, 2006 'Christmas massacre' in
Cite Soleil. They said, "We are sending a clear
message: that no one is forgotten. Coming from
the working class, our sympathy will always lie
with the workers and the poor who struggle for
freedom and equality." The Irish picketers passed
out a Workers Solidarity Movement leaflet: "On
the 7th of February 1986 the Haitian people,
after years of revolt against the rich and
powerful, toppled one of the most brutal
dictatorships that history has recorded, the one
led by the Duvalier family. Not only did they put
an end to the US-backed reign of terror of the
Duvaliers, but as well, the people were pushing
forward a series of popular demands that were
meant to radically change the face of Haiti: this
was a truly revolutionary struggle. Today, Haiti
is again under the yoke of oppression - this time
under a UN military occupation called MINUSTAH,
headed mostly by subservient Latin American
governments, but engineered from the US and
France, the main imperialist powers controlling
Haitian affairs. [The UN] took over after the
kidnap and coup on President Jean-Bertrand
Aristide in 2004. Don't let us have false
illusions on the true nature of MINUSTAH: they
are an occupation force that protects the
sympathizers of the Duvaliers and other human
rights violators. They are the only support for
the corrupt Haitian elite....So MINUSTAH have
been efficient in fulfilling their role:...to
protect the privilege of the 3% of Haitians that
control over 80% of the wealth of that country.
End the UN and all foreign occupation of Haiti!," the leaflet said.
London, England - On Friday Feb. 29, 8-10 pm, the
new short film "What's Going on in Haiti" about
Haiti in 2007 under US/UN occupation, will be
screened at the Crossroads Women's Centre, 230-A
Kentish Town Road, London NW5 [entrance Caversham
Rd], as part of the global day of action.
Wheelchair accessible. Near Kentish Town Tube on
the Northern Line. Sponsored by Global Women's
Strike and Women of Colour in the Global Women's Strike.
London, England - Ongoing weekly vigil and fast
for abducted Haitian human rights advocate
Lovinsky Pierre-Antoine every Wednesday from 5 to
6 pm outside the Brazilian Embassy, 32 Green St.,
London W1 (near Marble Arch Tube). [Brazil heads
the UN military mission occupying Haiti.] The
vigil on Feb. 27 was part of the 3rd
international mobilization in solidarity with Haiti.
Atlanta, Georgia - Screening of the Nicolas
Rossier film Aristide and the Endless Revolution,
7 pm, Friday, Feb. 29 at Project South, 9 Gammon
Ave SE, Atlanta. Info: 770 469 9102. Presented
by Malcolm X Grassroots Movement.
Roanoke, Virginia - Haitian community showing of
a film about Haiti on Saturday, March 1st at a
Haitian Caribbean restaurant in the community, in
solidarity with the Feb. 29 global day of action.
Moneta/Huddleston, Virginia - Evening film
showing on Monday, March 10 of the new short
film, What's Going On in Haiti?, about Haiti in
2007 under US/UN occupation, at Resurrection
Church, Moneta, in solidarity with the Feb. 29 global day of action.
Fremont, California - Teach-in about Haiti
7:00-8:30 pm Monday, March 3rd, at the Dominican
Sisters of Mission San Jose, 43326 Mission Blvd,
in solidarity with the Feb. 29 global day of
action for Haiti. Presentations by Sister Stella
Goodpasture and the Haiti Action Committee. Info: 510 657 2468
Rochester, New York - The Rochester Committee on
Latin America will hold its annual Rice & Beans
Dinner for 150 people on Friday, Feb. 29. They
will "observe the 4th anniversary of the
US-backed coup against President Aristide by
writing our congresspersons to support
immediately the House Resolution to cancel the Haitian debt."
Los Angeles, Calif. - Film showing 7pm Saturday,
March 1st, Eastside Cafe, 5469 Huntington Drive
North (at Maycrest), in El Sereno. Screening the
Kevin Pina film Harvest of Hope. The film, about
the rise of the Lavalas movement leading up to
the December 1990 elections that swept
Jean-Bertrand Aristide into the presidency -- and
the 1991-94 coup that followed -- is a primer for
understanding the roots of the current crisis in
Haiti. Also showing: a new short film What's
Going on in Haiti?, about Haiti in 2007 under
US/UN occupation. Event coordinated by Women of
Color in the Global Women's Strike and Global
Women’s strike.. Co-sponsored by CISPES,
Answer-LA, and International Action Center. Info: 323-276-9833
Toronto, Ontario - Demonstration and street
theater outside the Canadian Broadcasting Company
(CBC) building, 250 Front St West 11:30 am-1:00
pm Friday Feb. 29, to protest media support for
the US/French/Canadian coup in Haiti and current
UN occupation. Sponsored by Toronto Haiti Action
Committee "as part of a worldwide day of
mobilization and solidarity with the Haitian
people." People in costumes (UN official, Royal
Canadian Mounted Police officer, Canadian
government official, etc.) will sell 'mud
cookies' to passersby over the lunch hour. [To
stave off hunger in this time of high
unemployment and spiraling cost of living in
Haiti, some Haitians have been forced to resort
to eating so-called 'mud cookies' made of mud,
salt and oil.] "The poor majority in Haiti faces
an unprecedented social and economic catastrophe
that is steadily worsening," said the committee's
statement. "Basic human rights such as jobs,
clean water, health care and education are
unavailable and misery, poverty, hunger and
diseases are on the rise. Haitian jails remain
filled with political prisoners and pro-democracy
activists, and the Haitian poor still face political persecution.
"Canada's assistance in Haiti to date has been to
apply brute strength, superior firepower and a
development program that dictates the best way to
help the poor is to empower the rich," the
statement continued. "Despite the election... of
Rene Preval, the reins of power are effectively
in the hands of the foreign occupation forces."
Demonstrators will "condemn Canada's criminal
role in Haiti and call for an end to the destructive UN occupation."
Brooklyn, New York - Screening of the powerful
feature-length film Bitter Cane, shot
clandestinely in Haiti during the Duvalier era,
and the new short film What's Going On in Haiti?,
about Haiti in 2007 under US/UN occupation, in
solidarity with the Feb. 29 global day of action
for Haiti. For more info, including time and
location of the screening, go to
<http://www.myspace.com/haitisolidarity2008>www.myspace.com/haitisolidarity2008
Vancouver, Canada - Haiti Solidarity British
Columbia will sponsor a public meeting at 7 pm,
Tuesday, March 4th, 319 West Hastings St.,
Vancouver, on the situation four years after the coup and occupation of Haiti.
Detroit, Michigan - Michigan Emergency Committee
against War & Injustice (MECAWI) held a meeting
in solidarity with Haiti on Feb 27th at 5920
Second Ave, Detroit, just north of Wayne State University.
Calgary, Alberta - Picket line 4 pm Friday, Feb.
29 at the Harry Hays federal building in downtown
Calgary. Last year's demonstration at the same
building called for "an immediate end to the
Canadian/US/UN occupation of Haiti and
cancellation of the so-called Haitian debt", in
supporting "Haiti's sovereign right to self-determination."
Jacksonville, Florida - Northern Florida Haitian
community meeting will screen the new DVD What's
Going On in Haiti as well as a video of the Haiti
Workshop at the first United States Social Forum
held in Atlanta, Georgia last July.
Kigali, Rwanda - On Friday, Feb. 29 the radio
station Contact One in Rwanda will air a program
in the French language devoted to the Feb. 29th
International Day in Solidarity with Haiti.
Oakland, California - The Niebyl-Proctor Library
will sponsor a Haiti film showing 2 pm Saturday,
March 8, in solidarity with the Feb. 29 global
day of action, at the library, 6501 Telegraph
Ave. (at 65th St), Oakland. Benefit for the
Commemoration Committee for the Black Panther
Party. Screening of the powerful feature-length
film Bitter Cane, shot clandestinely in Haiti
during the Duvalier era, and the new short film
What's Going On in Haiti?, about Haiti in 2007
under US/UN occupation. Info: 510 595 7417
Miami, Florida - Father Gerard Jean-Juste, the
Haitian community and friends will gather 7pm
Friday, Feb. 29 at Veye Yo, 32 NE 54th St, in the
heart of Miami's Little Haiti, for a rally in
support of the demands of the popular movement in Haiti.
Macon, Georgia - Showing of the Nicolas Rossier
film Aristide and the Endless Revolution in
Macon, sponsored by the Haitian Hope Committee of
the St. Francis Church, in solidarity with the
Feb. 29th global day of action for Haiti. (Date and location TBA)
Sault Ste.Marie, Ontario, Canada - Showing of the
powerful film about the US/UN occupation, Haiti:
"We Must Kill the Bandits" 7 pm at Algoma
Community College. Filmmaker Kevin Pina in person to lead the discussion.
Minneapolis, Minnesota - Vigil from 4:30-5:30 pm
Friday, Feb. 29 at Hennepin County Government
Center Plaza, at the light rail station downtown,
"to commemorate the shameful overthrowing of
Haitian democracy in a coup against President
Aristide and the Lavalas government." In
addition, a house meeting in the Twin Cities will
screen the powerful Kevin Pina film, Haiti: 'We
Must Kill the Bandits', which tells the story of
the US invasions and occupations of Haiti, from
1915-34 to 2004 and the ongoing UN occupation.
Johannesburg, South Africa (Auckland Park) -
During the week of March 3, the radio station
Channel Africa, affiliated with the South African
Broadcasting Corporation, will air a program in
the English language devoted to the Feb. 29th
International Day of Solidarity with the Haitian People.
Richmond, California - The mayor of Richmond will
dedicate her weekly 'Meet the Mayor' session to
the people of Haiti, in conjunction with the 3rd
International Day in Solidarity with th Haitian
People. Richmond Library, 325 Civic Center Plaza,
Richmond on Friday, Feb. 29 at 5 pm.
Notre Dame, Indiana - Caribbean Diasporas Film
Series, 7-9 pm Thursday, Feb. 28 in Debartolo 126
at the University of Notre Dame, will feature two
films about Haiti, Legacy of the Spirits, about
Haitian immigrants' religious practices in New
York, which inspire non-Haitians to join them,
and Haitian Song, an intimate portrait of life in
a small Haitian village. A second event will take
place about 9 pm, following the films: A
reflection and vigil for Haiti in the Great Hall
of O'Shaughnessy on the Notre Dame campus, in
solidarity with the Feb. 29 global day of action.
Sponsored by the campus Haiti Working Group.
San Francisco, California - Black History Month
forum on "The Struggle in Haiti" 7 pm Friday,
Feb. 29 at 2489 Mission St, Rm 28 (at 21st St),
sponsored by Party for Socialism and Liberation.
"Since carrying out a successful slave rebellion
in 1804, the Haitian people have fought fiercely
for their right to determine their own destiny.
French, British and US imperialists, seeing Haiti
as a source for profit, have consistently
undermined this right. Feb. 29 marks the 4th
anniversary of the illegal ousting of Haiti's
popular President Jean-Bertrand Aristide, and the
struggle continues today. Hear a report about the
Haitian Revolution and recent developments." Also
showing of a film, Struggles in Steel,
documenting the heroic struggle of Black steel workers for equality on the job.
Prince George, BC, Canada - Roger Annis, Canadian
writer and trade unionist who has written
extensively about the Canadian role in the 2004
coup and occupation of Haiti, spoke at a public
meeting held Feb. 22 in Prince George, in
solidarity with the Feb. 29 global day of action.
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada - The Canada Haiti
Action Network is organizing three events in
Winnipeg, in solidarity with the Feb. 29 global
day of action for Haiti, each featuring Roger
Annis of the Canada Haiti Action Network (CHAN).
The first will be 2:30-4:00 pm Thursday Feb.28 at
University of Winnipeg (Department of Politics).
The second event will be 1:30-3:00 pm Friday,
Feb. 29 at 407 Tier Building, University of
Manitoba., on “Haiti Today: Life Worsens under UN
Occupation.” The third event will be 7-9 pm
Friday Feb. 29 on Canadian policy in Afghanistan
and Haiti, also featuring David Camfield, at the
Bulman Centre, University of Winnipeg.
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada - "Four years later -
Eyewitness Reports on Haiti Today" : Panel
discussion 7pm Friday Feb. 29 at the Haitian
Community Centre of Ottawa, 876 Montreal Road
(betw.Aviation Hwy & Blair Rd., 2nd floor of
shopping plaza bldg - On OC Transpo Bus Route
#2).Featuring Darren Ell, journalist and
photographer; Raymond Dubuisson, radio journalist
and organizer with the CHORHA Haitian community
organization; and Jean Saint-Vil, independent
radio and print journalist and co-founder of the
Canada Haiti Action Network. Presentations in
English and French. Discussion in Kreyol, French and English.
San Diego, California - Film showing of a new DVD
What's Going On in Haiti - Haiti in 2007 under
US/UN Occupation, 7 pm Saturday, March 1st, 5350
Trojan Avenue. Sponsored by San Diego
International Action Center. Info: 619 692 0355.
San Jose, California - Speakout and leafleting
5:00-6:00 pm Friday Feb. 29 at south end of Cesar
Chavez Plaza, corner Market and San Carlos
streets, downtown San Jose, as people passing by
on foot and in cars signaled their support. Among
the signs were "US military kidnapped Aristide",
"Stop UN 'peacekeeper' massacres", "Free Rene
Civil and all political prisoners" and "End
foreign occupation of Haiti." Info: Donna Wallach 408-569-6608.
New Orleans, Louisiana - Film showing of the new
short film What's Going On in Haiti?, about Haiti
in 2007 under US/UN occupation, in solidarity
with the Feb. 29th global day of action for Haiti. (Date and location TBA)
Joseph, Oregon - Late afternoon vigil for Haiti on Friday, Feb. 29
San Rafael, California - Vigil and press
conference at the Fourth Street Plaza, Courthouse
Square, 5-7 pm on Friday, Feb. 29th "to recognize
the 4th anniversary of the military coup d'etat
in Haiti." The Task Force on the Americas
(formerly Marin Interfaith Task Force), sponsor
of the vigil, issued this statement: "Thousands
of Haitians were killed during the invasion, coup
and subsequent occupation by US and UN forces
which drove the democratically elected government
of Jean-Bertrand Aristide from
power....Aristide's policies did not go along
with the privatization model that is offered poor
countries in exchange for help with development
loans. Aristide's plan for 'Poverty with Dignity'
did not include the selling off of the resources
which he believed belonged to the Haitian people.
The coup heralded the return of the bad old days
in Haiti where the lack of human rights and the
control of Haiti's future are in the hands of a
small number of wealthy elite, who have strong
ties with the authors of the coup and the
Duvalier dictatorships...." <http://www.mitfamericas.org>www.mitfamericas.org
North Minneapolis, Minn. - Conference on the role
of the African diaspora in the ongoing political
and social ferment in the Americas, 1pm-9pm Sat.
March 1, at Phyllis Wheatley Park Center, Olson
Highway and I-94, North Minneapolis. Haiti and
the Feb. 29th global day of action will be part
of the presentation and discussion.
Santa Cruz, California - Radio program devoted to
Haiti and the Feb. 29th global day of action on
pirate radio station Free Radio Santa Cruz 101.1
FM from 6-7 pm on Saturday, March 8.
<http://www.freakradio.org>www.freakradio.org
Boston, Mass. - A screening of the new 16-minute
film What's Going on in Haiti?, which describes
Haiti in 2007 under US/UN occupation, will take
place in the bus yard of the Boston school bus
drivers, who are predominantly Haitians and Haitian Americans.
Sonoma, California - A photo exhibit by Haitian
news reporter and photographer Wadner Pierre will
open Monday, March 3 at Sonoma State University,
in the Center for Culture, Gender and Sexuality,
open 9-6 through March 7th. "This is an
occasion,” said Wadner Pierre, "to show people
what really happened in Haiti from 2004-06, and
the consequences of the Feb. 29, 2004 coup
against our democratically elected President
Jean-Bertrand Aristide. I will tell them why
President Aristide must be back in his country,
and why we need the departure of UN troops from
Haiti. The UN mission in Haiti has never told the
world the truth. They have never talked about the
crimes that their troops have done against the
population of Haiti, particularly people living
in the poorest districts like Cite Soleil or Bel
Air. I also am in solidarity with you all as we
commemorate this dark day in Haiti's history. One
love, one heart together let us fight for Peace,
Justice and real Democracy in the world." The
exhibit, titled "The Haitian Experience: A
Struggle for Liberty," features photos and
written excerpts from Wadner's chronicle of the
political struggles and the lives of Haitians
since the 2004 coup. Reception Wed. March 5th at
4 pm, same location, with Wadner Pierre, who is
currently visiting from his home in Port au
Prince, where he writes for Inter Press Service
and other independent news outlets.
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania - Film showing of the
new short film What's Going on in Haiti, about
Haiti in 2007 under US/UN occupation, in a
screening organized by the organization Workers' Fist.
Berkeley, California - The city's Peace & Justice
Commission passed a resolution on Haiti, which
goes before the City Council on March 11th. The
resolution states, in part: "...WHEREAS, since
the February 29, 2004 coup d’etat that overthrew
the elected government of Jean-Bertrand Aristide
in Haiti, even though an election was held on
February 7, 2006 in which Rene Preval was elected
President, Haiti remains under United Nations
occupation, and the constitutional government and
judicial system still remains under the control
of coup forces, and many Aristide supporters
remain imprisoned and subjected to inhumane conditions without due process; and
WHEREAS, the citizens of Berkeley have voted for
impeachment of President Bush, and the sponsoring
of a coup d’etat against Haiti is an impeachable
offense committed by the Bush Administration; and
WHEREAS, in a press release dated December 20,
2007, a representative of Amnesty International
stated, "The Haitian authorities have a
responsibility under international law to protect
the legitimate rights of human rights defenders
to organize and take action without restrictions
or fear of reprisals," and the organization has
mobilized its global network of activists on
behalf of two human rights defenders in Haiti,
one abducted and the other facing physical
threats, and is calling on the Haitian
authorities to redouble efforts to find [human
rights advocate] Lovinsky Pierre-Antoine, who was
abducted in August, and to protect [his
colleague] Wilson Mesilien, who has recently been
threatened with physical harm; and
WHEREAS, Haiti, the most impoverished country in
the Western Hemisphere, owes over one billion
dollars to multilateral financial institutions,
much of which was accumulated during the
oppressive rule of the United States-supported
Duvalier regime, which did not use the money to benefit the Haitian people; and
WHEREAS, H.Res.241 introduced by Representatives
Maxine Waters [CA-35] and Barbara Lee [CA-9]
among others, urges the International Monetary
Fund (IMF), the International Bank for
Reconstruction and Development (World Bank), and
other multilateral financial institutions to
cancel Haiti’s debts completely and immediately.
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Council of
the City of Berkeley...call on all authorities in
Haiti, the UN Mission to Haiti, and the United
States, Canada, France, and Brazil, who call
themselves the friends of Haiti, to work for
rapid implementation of the following:
1. Release all political prisoners,
2. Guarantee freedom of speech and assembly,
3. Bring about the safe return of Human
rights activist Lovinsky Pierre-Antoine, and
4. Compensate victims of United Nations
raids in Cite Soleil and elsewhere as well as
victims of rapes and sexual exploitation by United Nations troops.
5. Withdraw all foreign occupying forces,
including the UN and US forces..." [Resolution awaiting City Council approval.]
Washington, D.C. - The Latin America Solidarity
Coalition (LASC) issued a statement endorsing
"the call by the Haiti Action Committee for
widespread actions in the US and abroad on
February 29, 2008, the fourth anniversary of the
US-orchestrated, US Marine-led coup that
overthrew the democratically elected government
of President Jean Paul Aristide resulting in a
continuing brutal occupation by a UN
‘peacekeeping’ force enforcing US government
interests in Haiti while repressing democratic forces.
"The UN occupation force, known by its French
acronym MINUSTAH, is shamefully commanded by
Brazilian troops. The LASC supports progressive
forces in Brazil which are demanding that their
government not be complicit enforcer of the US
government's imperialist policies in
Haiti. Brazilian activists are particularly
angry that the Lula government would play a
leadership role in the occupation of a sovereign
country in this hemisphere. The LASC condemns the
United Nations, Brazil, and the other countries
which have provided troops for the military
occupation of Haiti. Those troops allow the US
war machine to enforce strategic goals over the
Caribbean and Latin America while freeing US
forces for the continued war against the people of Iraq and Afghanistan
.
"Under UN occupation, conditions in Haiti
continue to deteriorate: recent headlines exposed
that 10% (110 men) of an entire Sri Lankan
MINUSTAH unit were expelled for sexual
exploitation of young Haitian women and girls in
a food for sex, prostitution scandal. Recently
the Associated Press exposed the shameful fact
that 4 years into a US-sanctioned, UN -backed
military occupation, Haiti's poor are now
resorting to mud cookies for food. Documentary
film maker Kevin Pina and others have documented
several massacres by UN troops seeking ‘bandits’
in Haiti's vast slums. The LASC recognizes the
19th century use of the word ‘bandits’ as a label
put on those who take up arms against US imperialism.
"MINUSTAH presides over an occupation that favors
US government interests in collaboration with the
wealthy elite of Haiti. A program of repression
against Fanmi Lavalas, the political party
founded by Aristide and supported by a strong
majority of Haitians when they have the
opportunity to vote democratically, is underway,
evidenced by over 1,000 political prisoners still
in prison, and in the kidnapping of human rights
advocate Lovinsky Pierre-Antoine. Haitian
activists liken Lovinsky's disappearance to the
operations of the old ton ton macoute (Duvalier era death/terror squads)
"MINUSTAH operates with an annual budget of $500
million. Haiti's entire annual budget under
Aristide was $300 million. Yet despite leading
the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere,
the elected democratic government of
Aristide/Fanmi Lavalas undertook a progressive
social agenda that gave schools, markets, health
care, infrastructure, hope and progress to
Haiti's poor while still being forced by the US
and Europe to pay off the odious debts of Papa
Doc's dictatorship. MINUSTAH expenditures, in
contrast, strengthen US hegemony over Haiti's
affairs, bolster military/security forces, and
finance monetary schemes and corruption that aim
to destroy resistance to the occupation. Just to
view the obscene new construction of a fancy new
US Embassy and an enormous adjacent UN military
encampment is to understand that this occupation intends to stay.
"The other side of the coin is that Haiti's poor
successfully developed a ten-year experiment in
democracy and social progress, and the LASC
supports their continued democratic struggle for
sovereignty and self-determination. They are not
victims of history. They have a sophisticated
understanding of Western powers and a long
history of resistance to foreign occupation and
slavery. The immediate situation for the
grassroots movement is difficult, yet there is
both organized and popular resistance and
dedicated activists working under dire
circumstances. If there were ever a moment when
international solidarity was critical, this is
it.”
<http://www.lasolidarity.org/haiti/statementFeb08.html>http://www.lasolidarity.org/haiti/statementFeb08.html
Haiti - Many cities and towns in Haiti will be
taking part in activities marking the 4th
anniversary of the disastrous Feb. 29, 2004 coup,
and expressing their determination to restore
self-determination, democracy and justice to
their country. We will have a full report during the first week of March 2008.
*** Fact Sheet on US Marines in Haiti
While the fight to oust US Marine recruiters from
Berkeley has galvanized public opinion and
sparked headlines, we in the U.S. hear little
about the US Marines in Haiti, a nation of 6.5
million people of African heritage. Since 1914,
US Marines have intervened repeatedly in Haiti to
enforce US strategic goals in the region.
February 29th, 2008 marks the 4th anniversary of
the latest US intervention which overthrew
Haiti’s democratically-elected government. Consider these facts:
* 1914: US Marines seize 1/2 million dollars
from Haiti’s national bank, transferring the
funds to the National City Bank in New York for “safekeeping.”
* 1915-1934: US Marines invade Haiti and
establish a 20,000 troop US occupation lasting 19
years which featured martial law, dissolution of
the Haitian legislature, and transfer of the most
fertile land to foreign ownership. Major General
Smedley Butler, a high-ranking US Marine, said,
“I spent 33 years
in active military service
as a
high class muscle man for Big Business
I helped
make Haiti and Cuba a decent place for the
National City Bank boys to collect revenues in.”
* 1958: US Marines return to Haiti to support
US-backed Duvalier father-son dictatorship whose
brutal rule, protected by the dreaded “Ton Ton
Macoutes,” dominated Haiti for 27 years, killed
30,000 people and crushed political opposition.
The US spent $3 million training “Papa Doc’s”
Haitian army officers, many at the infamous School of the Americas.
* 2004: US Marines invade Haiti as part of
the overthrow of the elected democratic
government of President Aristide and install a
US-appointed coup regime later buttressed by UN
troops. They occupy a medical school, kick out
the teachers and students, and turn it into a
Marine barracks. US soldiers forcibly kidnap the
President, and arrest dozens of Haitian elected
government leaders and grassroots activists.
<http://www.haitisolidarity.net/article.php?id=223>http://www.haitisolidarity.net/article.php?id=223
Contact the Feb. 29th Organizing Committee at
510-847-8657 <mailto:feb29 at sonic.net>feb29 at sonic.net
Freedom Archives
522 Valencia Street
San Francisco, CA 94110
415 863-9977
www.Freedomarchives.org
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