23704: (pub) Esser: Haiti activists take their anger to Bush & Powell (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: D. Esser <torx@joimail.com>

San Francisco Bayview
http://www.sfbayview.com/

November 4, 2004

Haiti activists take their anger to Bush & Powell
by Judith Scherr

Haitian-American Pierre Labossiere condemns the U.S. for its role in
ousting democratically-elected President Aristide at Thursday’s
pro-democracy rally at Powell and Market.

Targeting the U.S. role in government-sponsored repression and civil
unrest in Haiti, about 100 people took to San Francisco streets on
Thursday. “Democracy must be respected,” Pierre Labossiere told those
assembled at Powell and Market streets. Labossiere, a Haitian
American, is a founding member of the Haiti Action Committee, which
sponsored the protest.

George Bush and French President Jacques Chirac are the “intellectual
authors” of the “coup” against democratically-elected Haitian
President Jean-Bertrand Aristide, he said. Aristide was taken out of
Haiti Feb. 29 on a U.S.-supplied jet and calls the act a “kidnapping.”

The U.S. contends, however, that Aristide asked for help to escape
ex-soldiers who had taken over sections of the country. These former
soldiers, who wrecked havoc on the island nation early in the year –
and who continue to control parts of the country today – represent
the same military that first overthrew Aristide in 1991 and murdered
at least 3,000 people. Aristide disbanded the army in 1995.

Before “taking their anger to Bush and Powell” – Bush and Powell
streets cross a few blocks up the hill – Labossiere brought
protesters up to date on the most recent civil unrest. Police killed
two Lavalas (Aristide’s political party) activists demonstrating for
the return of their president on Sept. 30. Responding, activists have
clashed with police for a month, resulting in the deaths of more than
100 people – some reports say up to 600 deaths – including police
officers, bystanders and Lavalas activists, some of whom have been
taken from their homes and executed by Haitian police. The
government, appointed with U.S. support after Aristide was exiled,
denies police responsibility.

Labossiere said that in recent weeks, peasants who had been given
land under Aristide were kicked off the land; schools and literacy
centers he had founded were shut down and Lavalas sympathizers
jailed: Fr. Gérard Jean-Juste was arrested while feeding poor
children in his church; and former members of parliament were jailed
after criticizing the appointed government on the radio.
Newly-detained persons join hundreds of jailed Aristide supporters
including the former prime minister, former minister of interior,
celebrated folk singer Sò Anne, union activists and journalists. Most
have been jailed for months without being told why they are under
arrest and without a trial date, Labossiere said.

With educator Doug Spalding on the megaphone, the crowd marched up
Powell, many of them carrying crosses bearing names of persons killed
in the recent violence, including Phillipe Eliphete, murdered by an
armed anti-Lavalas gang April 4, and Wendy Monigat, age 15, killed by
police Oct. 1.

On their way to Bush and Powell streets, the demonstrators briefly
joined picketers at three nearby hotels where workers have been
locked out of their jobs during tense contract negotiations with
hotel owners. The Haiti activists join hotel workers because,
according to Charlie Hinton of the Haiti Action Committee, “It’s
about class issues. Aristide represents the poor and working people.”

For updates on Haiti, see www.haitiaction.net.
.