21955: Felux: Haitian Police kill peaceful demonstrators; "peacekeepers" do nothing (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Justin <justins@alacrityisp.net>

Photos at http://www.haitiaction.net/News/HIP/5_18_4.html

Haitian Police kill peaceful demonstrators
as U.S, "Peacekeepers" stand by.

by the Haiti Information Project
May 18, 2004
Port-au-Prince, Haiti

A Special Forces unit (CIMO) of the Haitian National Police (PNH) killed
Lavalas demonstra-tors today in Port-au-Prince as a larger U.S. Marine
"peacekeeping" force of about 50 soldiers stood by.
About 6,000 Lavalas demonstrators in one of many separate marches tried to
converge near the Champ De Mars for a larger demonstration. The march had
been planned for some time and the organizations that planned the march
received written approval by the PNH to hold this demonstration on Haitian
Flag Day.
A contingent of about 50 U.S. Marines patroled every hour at the start of
one march in Bel-Air trying to intimidate the population there. One of the
marines officers in command tried to threaten an American journalist who was
filming the action. Whenever, any of the groups of marchers tried to reach
Champ de Mars a CIMO unit would "appear out of nowhere" and commence
shooting into the crowds of demonstrators.
Reports of similar killing is coming in from different areas of the city. At
10PM in Haiti, the were nine verified dead by the U.S. trained killers.
Recently the U.S. Marines have been directly involved in the current violent
political repression of Lavalas activists. Last week the Marines used
explosives to gain access to Annette Auguste's home before they arrested her
and her family on the pretense that she was arming Lavalas militants to
attack the Marines during Haitian Solidarity Week. No weapons were witnessed
or found in possession of any of the protesters today.
Even though the demonstrators were rather angry no rocks were thrown or
violence was witnessed to provoke the shooting.
One demonstrator—who was shot 30 yards in front of the journalist—lay dying
of a gunshot wound to the head. The only item in his possession was a
Walkman disk player. The CIMO unit that shot the non-violent Lavalasien
drove up in a red truck—license plate: 1-0060.
More details on this tragic event later.