Haitians want Aristide back

The struggle in Haiti over the return of President Jean Bertrand Aristide continues, as 30,000 people gathered at his house in Taba at 8:30 am on July 15. This was the first big demonstration since the people came out to demand their choice of René Préval for president be respected last year.

There were chants of “Aristide or death!” and “Aristide’s blood is our blood!”

Protesters supported demands to free all the political prisoners incarcerated under the previous regime, rehire all the government employees fired because they supported Aristide’s Lavalas party and punish all the criminals who worked in the previous administration.

Protesters also wanted all foreign troops, who are with the UN’s stabilization mission MINUSTAH, out of Haiti. A leaflet with the demands for the demonstration appeared in the July 12-18 Haïti Progrès.

When the marchers neared the presidential palace, the cops of the Haitian National Police (PNH) formed a line, backed up by contingents from MINUSTAH, and drew their weapons. Some of the protesters fled, because demonstrators in Haiti are often shot by the cops. According to the Associated Press, a man yelled at police, “If there’s blood it will be on your hands!”

But 3,000 or so confronted the cops and managed to get through their lines to the wall around the Presidential Palace. There was no major confrontation but some scuffles did take place.

“We voted for Préval on the condition that he bring back Aristide. That’s the will of the people,” Bruce Pierre Richard, 21, told the AP.

“The international community doesn’t want Aristide to come back, so they’re pressuring Préval to keep him out,” said another demonstrator, Harold Lafaliese, 40. The United States has warned that Aristide’s return could destabilize the Caribbean country.

The protest was called by the Cell of National Reflection of the Popular Organization of the Base of Fanmi Lavalas and the National Popular Party (PPN).

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