Marching to free Haiti

[struggle4progress]

Over 60 people rallied last Tuesday in Montreal in front of both the U.S. and French consulates as well as the major federal government offices, marking the 18th anniversary of Haiti’s post-Duvalier (Baby Doc and Papa Doc) constitution. Organizers chose these sites to highlight the role these three countries played in last year’s overthrow of Jean Bertrand Aristide, Haiti’s elected president. The anniversary of the constitution was seen as a fitting day to demand the return of constitutional order in Haiti, including the physical return of Aristide.

Montreal’s information picket was in solidarity with a much larger mobilization in Port au Prince where, despite a terribly repressive political climate, tens of thousands gathered to march from the slum of Bel Air. Although the march was publicized well in advance, that morning UN soldiers handed out leaflets urging people not to protest.

UN soldiers then proceeded to block the march from leaving Bel Air, preventing people from reaching their goal – the Constitutional Plaza. Later in the day the 47-year-old brother of a Montreal rally organizer was shot and killed for wearing a t-shirt with Aristide’s picture. <snip>

http://www.sfbayview.com/040605/freehaiti040605.shtml