Protests hit terror in Haiti

In 40 cities around the U.S. and the world, rallies and marches on Sept. 30 protested the ongoing terror in Haiti and commemorated the 14th anniversary of the first U.S.-backed coup against President Jean-Bertrand Aristide.

Los Angeles

In Los Angeles, with the eyes of two U.S. State Department officials upon them, organizers from the Coalition in Solidarity with Haiti, Global Women’s Strike, ANSWER, International Action Center and Haiti activists gathered at the Brazilian Consulate.

The demonstrators were able to force a representative from the Consulate to come outside to meet with them. A U.S. State Department agent insisted on standing directly behind the Brazilian for what they said was his “security,” even though organizers assured them that this was a peaceful gathering and they just wanted to dialog with the representative.

It was obvious that the Brazilian representative was painfully embarrassed. His words were very measured and his main defense against charges that his government was assisting U.S. genocide in Haiti was “I’m not aware of these facts” and “Politics is very complicated.” Nolutando Williams of the Coalition in Solidarity with Haiti, Sidney Ross-Risden of Global Women’s Strike and John Parker from the International Action Center led the questioning of the consular official.

In San Francisco, 75 people rallied in front of the Federal Building in solidarity with the Haitian people. Several speakers addressed the U.S. government’s role in the Feb. 29, 2004, kidnapping of Aristide and the continued occupation of Haiti by foreign troops.

Pierre Labossiere from the Haiti Action Committee spoke of the sham elections campaign currently being forced upon the Haitian people, saying, “Haitians can run their own democracy and will NOT return to slavery.”

Kelu, a former Black Panther Party member and currently fighting for the freedom of Mumia Abu-Jamal, spoke from her wheelchair. She made the connections between the atrocities committed against the people of Haiti, Iraq, Gaza and elsewhere and U.S. imperialism. She pointed to the leadership of Fidel Castro of Cuba and Hugo Chávez of Venezuela as examples of true world leaders, punctuating her speech with, “What we need is a GLOBAL revolution!”

After the rally 18 individuals were arrested for sitting down and blocking the entrance to the Federal Building.

In Brooklyn, N.Y., Patizan Jezikri and the Committee Against Genocide in Haiti held a march and rally, starting with a mass for the victims at Holy Innocent Church. Speakers denounced the sham elections that exclude Aristide from running.

Maggie Vascassenno, J. Marquardt and G. Dunkel contributed to this article.