20695: Esser: Haitians Demonstrate (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: D. Esser torx@joimail.com

The Nassau Guardian
http://www.thenassauguardian.com

March 22, 2004

Haitians Demonstrate
- Blocking traffic in the Grove
By MINDELL SMALL,Guardian Staff Reporter

A group of about 100 Haitians demonstrated outside the Metropolitan
Church of the Nazerene on East Street South and Bahama Avenue Sunday,
demanding the return of Jean-Bertrand Aristide as president of that
country.

The passionate group, singing songs while carrying Haitian flags and
placards with the face of Aristide, said they have been silent for
too long and are now showing the world that the majority of Haitians
in The Bahamas support the former president and want him reinstated.

Organiser of the demonstration and church member, Mr. Charite Gilles,
said he wants The Bahamas to know that despite what some
international reports have said, the majority of the eight million
Haitians support Aristide.

"With Aristide, Haitians have a future, without Aristide... no
future. The dream what Haitian have is dead, it perish so therefore
we want Aristide back," he shouted.

Aristide is a Haitian citizen

He said Aristide is a Haitian citizen and should be in Haiti where he
belongs, and the international community should permit him to return.

Focussed on the demonstration

When asked if the group is also pushing the present Haitian
government to call an election so that the Haitian people could
decide whom they want as president, he said the group's energy is
currently focussed on the demonstration.

He said the demonstration here was necessary to show The Bahamas
government that it should take a leading role in calling on the
international community to investigate the circumstances which led to
the former Haitian leader's exit from Haiti.

He then explained that because the Haitian dream and spirit has been
"killed," there would eventually be more Haitians risking their lives
on the high seas to come here. He said he strongly believes that
Haiti's economic and social problems could be solved under Aristide,
but the new government there does not know what to do.

"So far we appreciate what The Bahamas government do - CARICOM
especially. We appreciate it!" he added.

Another outspoken person at the demonstration was Mrs. Melrose
Turenne. Born in The Bahamas, Mrs. Turenne said she believes that
Aristide, currently in Jamaica, might go to Haiti.

She also said the Nassau demonstration is important and would have an
effect because of the large Haitian population in The Bahamas,
estimated to be near 60,000.

Only Aristide can help Haitians

"Yes it would be effective demonstrating here because there are a lot
of Haitians here... they are used to Aristide and Aristide is the
only person who can really deliver the Haitians from what we're going
through," she said.

She indicated that it does not matter that the former president was
in power for ten full years, after being reinstated by U.S.-led
forces in 1994. His election in Dec. 1990, made history in Haiti as
that country's first democratically elected president. However, nine
months later in 1991, he was ousted in a coup.

Afraid of mass exodus

She noted that as a Bahamian, she is concerned that Haitians could
soon overrun The Bahamas and added that the government had a good
working relationship with Haiti when Aristide was in power. However,
she said all of The Bahamas' policies with Haiti might now have to be
redefined.

"The Haitians come here in our country, even though I'm a Bahamian,
I'm a Haitian at heart, and I know we as Bahamians are not really
going to accept them because our resources are very limited," she
said.

"We have to cater to Bahamians and the Haitians who are coming here.
And there is only so much we can do," she added.

Together we work as one

She then joined the march, holding up the Haitian State flag and
explained that the words at the base of its emblem, "L'union fait la
force," mean "Together we work as one."

The demonstration

The group organised itself at about 1 p.m., shortly after a special
service at the church. Police controlled traffic around the
demonstration, but had to use additional manpower as shortly 2 p.m.
the group began marching down the street bringing traffic in the most
of the Coconut Grove area to a crawl.

They marched from the church north on East Street to Wulff Road; west
on Wulff Road to Blue Hill Road; south on Blue Hill Road to Robinson
Road; east on Robinson Road to East Street and north on East Street
back to the church at the Bahama Avenue junction.

The march lasted approximately two hours.

Pastor of the 27-year-old church with approximately 300 members,
Reverend Nelson Pierre was picking up members to join in the march.

Update

Last Monday, the church invited Foreign Affairs Minister Fred
Mitchell to speak to the Haitian community. He gave an update on what
The Bahamas government is doing with respect to the new Haitian
government.

International reports

Meantime international reports said Haiti's new Prime Minister,
Gérard Latortue appeared publicly with rebel leaders in the northern
port city of Cap Haitien on Saturday, seeking to cool relations with
them.

The trip was his first outside of the capital, Port-au-Prince, since
he was appointed to lead an interim government last week.

On March 16, Mr. Latortue formed a government of national unity
composed of 13 ministers with no party affiliations. He said the
non-partisan government is better able to lead the country until
elections could be held.
.