13798: Pina posts report of Lavalas Rally in Capital (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: kevin pina <kpinbox@hotmail.com>


Lavalas Rallies Thousands to Support President Aristide in Haiti's Capital

by Kevin Pina

November 25, 2002
Port au Prince, Haiti

Lavalas supporters filled the national theater in downtown Port au
Prince this morning then marched to the national palace in what can only be
called a tremendous show of strength and unity. They demanded that President
Aristide fullfill his term in office while condemning the Covergence and
what they called the "so-called civil society" as "hypocrites nurtured in
the bosom of the Bush administration."  They condemned foreign intervention
in their internal political affairs and gave a clear message to Haiti's now
defunct military that they are not welcome to return. Chanting "Himmler Rebu
we fired you", they chastised the Convergence as undemocratic for walking
arm in arm with former military officers, a week ago last Sunday, where they
called once
again for the restitution of the military.  Lavalas demonstrators also
called for early elections with shouts of "if elections are fair we have
nothing to fear from you."

The overcapacity crowd in the national theater, estimated at 7000, came
mostly from the poor slums throughout the capital to attend the event.
Lavalas members from Belair and Cite Soleil could be seen standing side
by side with Lavalasien from Canape Vert and Petionville singing to the
strains of two traditional rara bands. One woman who said she was from Bois
Verna shouted, "nobody paid me to be here,I walked here because I did not
have money for the bus. Let's keep walking!!" , just before the crowd
spilled into the streets for a peaceful march past the U.S. Consulate.

As the march continued towards the palace the crowd coalesced with
thousands more along the route. By the time the march reached the national
palace the crowd was estimated to have swelled to well beyond 30,000.

The event was generally peaceful with the exception of a small group of
fifteen students at the State University taunting and throwing rocks from
behind locked gates as the march passed by. The crowd almost took the bait
until marchers began chanting "it's a trap, it's a trap", the police showed
up to help disperse the crowd, and the march passed by without further
altercations.



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