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Haiti Solidarity Event: June 26th at La Pena, Berkeley<br>
<a href="http://www.haitisolidarity.net/article.php?id=251" eudora="autourl">
http://www.haitisolidarity.net/article.php?id=251<br><br>
</a>Thursday, June 26th, 7PM<br><br>
La Pena, 3105 Shattuck Avenue, Berkeley, CA<br><br>
Recent headlines report: "Haitians Take To The Streets To Demand
Food." "Hungry Haitians Storm Presidential Palace Over
High Cost of Living." "Haitian Government Falls After
Food Riots." Once again, as they have done so many times
throughout their history, the Haitian people have taken center stage,
exposing the desperate conditions foisted upon them by four years of UN
occupation and misrule.<br><br>
The massive outpouring of protest over food prices has shattered the
façade promoted by the mainstream press that Haiti is slowly moving
towards a stable democratic government and economic progress after the
violent coup that killed thousands, displaced, imprisoned and exiled
thousands more, and forcibly kidnapped the democratically elected
President. Economic conditions for the average Haitian have deteriorated
rapidly while UN occupation forces have an annual budget of over $535
million. The Preval government has received international aid denied to
the former government of President Aristide. While the export-import
sector run by Haiti's traditional elite has profited from international
aid, the poor have been even further marginalized. Prices for rice,
beans, water, cooking oil and gas have skyrocketed to the point where
many Haitians simply cannot afford to eat. The Associated Press
recently ran an article reporting that many Haitians were now eating
"mud cookies."<br><br>
People can only take so much, and can only hear empty promises for so
long while they watch their children starving. That is why so many
of the demonstrators this past few weeks carried signs calling for the
return to Haiti of President Aristide. They remember full well
that, under the Aristide government, social and economic programs were
begun that gave people hope and dignity. They are fighting for that
hope and that dignity in the streets of Haiti today.<br><br>
Join Haiti Action Committee for an evening of solidarity with Haiti with
eyewitness reports from Haiti about:
<ul>
<li>Mass demonstrations against hunger
<li>Efforts to free political prisoners
<li>The fight to return disappeared human rights activist Lovinsky
Pierre-Antoine
<li>The continued UN occupation and the role of the Preval government
</ul><br>
$5-10 no one turned away for lack of funds<br><br>
Wheelchair accessible<br><br>
<br><br>
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<font size=3 color="#FF0000">Freedom Archives<br>
522 Valencia Street<br>
San Francisco, CA 94110<br><br>
</font><font size=3 color="#008000">415 863-9977<br><br>
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<a href="http://www.freedomarchives.org/" eudora="autourl">
www.Freedomarchives.org</a></font><font size=3> </font></body>
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