25882: Haitian Action Committee: Fwd: ***HAITI Report Back*** T, 2 Aug, Women's Building, SF, 7 p.m. (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Haiti Action Committee <haitiaction@yahoo.com>

Haiti Eyewitness - A War on the Poor Majority

Tuesday, August 2nd -- 7:00 p.m.

Women's Building - 3543 - 18th Street, SF [betw Valencia & Guerrerro in the
Mission]

Co-sponsored by Haiti Action Committee and the ANSWER Coalition

*   Dave Welsh, San Francisco Labor Council delegate, just back from a
Labor/Human Rights Delegation to Haiti

*   Doug Spalding, public high school teacher and human rights monitor, just
returned from Haiti

*   Pierre Labossiere, Haiti Action Committee

*   Gloria La Riva, ANSWER Coalition

*   Video footage documenting the July 6th massacre of civilians by UN troops
in
Cite Soleil

"What's happening in Haiti is a monstrous crime ? an all-out war on the poor
majority," said Dave Welsh, with the Labor/Human Rights Delegation just
returned from Haiti. "The US has prepared the crime, and now the National
Police and UN forces are committing it ? slaughtering people in the poor
neighborhoods that support Aristide.... arresting respected grassroots leaders
like Father Jean-Juste and Paul Raymond....and trying to shut down the few
remaining independent media like AHP and Radio Solidarite.

"While our delegation was in Haiti, we interviewed and filmed over 100 workers,
peasants and professionals from many parts of Haiti," Welsh said. "They told us
there is no democracy in Haiti today, that the sham elections set for this fall
are just an attempt to legitimize the illegal coup regime.

"Terrorize the poor majority....lock up their grassroots leaders....and choke
off the independent press ? this is the program of the US-backed regime."

Since the July 6th massacre in Cite Soleil, there have been demonstrations in
five countries, including 15-city coordinated protests on July 21st in the US,
Canada, France and Brazil --  demanding a halt to the killings, freedom for
political prisoners, and respect for Haiti's sovereignty and restoration of its
democratically-elected government. Despite heavy repression, 5,000 people
demonstrated in Cite Soleil to condemn the killings.

The coup regime may have the guns [courtesy of US taxpayers].  But they don't
have the people. "The US and UN are bent on no less than the destruction of the
Lavalas movement, which is to say the movement of the vast majority of the
Haitian people," said Doug Spalding, human rights monitor in Haiti. "But we
cannot allow this to happen."

The movement is building. You can be part of it. The Haitian people need you to
be part of it.
Come to this forum, see the video footage, hear first-hand reports, and decide
for yourself.

For more information, call ANSWER at 415-821-6545, or the Haiti Action
Committee
at 510-483-7481.




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