Ireland and Haiti

international | anti-war / imperialism | press release

Tuesday March 01, 2005 11:02

by For LASC

Haiti is the poorest country on the Western Hemisphere
and its all history is one of foreign intervention and
looting, from colonial times until its republican
period. Last year Haiti celebrated the 200th
anniversary of its existence; not a minor celebration,
as Haiti was the first Latin American country to gain
its independence and represented the first step to the
abolition of slavery. But Haiti had to pay a very high
price for the freedom of its offsprings

Today, the country is ruled by a tiny elite, that has brutalised
the population for more than a century, that has
strong links with imperialist powers harboured in both
France and the USA. This elite came to power once
again after the coup d'etat of February 29th 2004,
carried by a number of thugs and ex-Duvalierists, and
this coup has been sanctified by the presence of the
"international community"; the USA, France, and Latin
American countries like Chile, Brasil (which is
leading the military coalition in Haiti) and
Argentina, none of which can boast of a too clean
Human Right record... and they're troops had been
given by the UN the mission of "protecting Haitian
people"!

No wonder many Human Right abuses have been
reported and the number of dead people keeps piling.
But the world remain indifferent to the suffering of
the Haitian people and it seems that whatever atrocity
occurs in the island is part of the natural state of
the world. We, in the Latin American Solidarity
Centre, reject this "natural" order of things and we
call all the social organisations and progressive
people, to demonstrate on March 5th at 13:00 o'clock,
outside of the Brasilian embassy in Dublin (41
Harcourt Street, Dublin 2). We call international
organisations to hold pickets of solidarity that day
as well, to show that Haitian people are not alone,
that we keep an eye on the events and that we join the
demands of the Haitian people:

- Disarmament of the putschist thugs lead by Chamblain
and Phillipe.
- Respect of the Sovereignity of Haitian people, as
expressed in the last elections and rejection of the
regime of Latortue.
- Freedom to all political prisoners.
- Respect to the freedom of association.
- Payment back of the indemnification payed by Haiti
to France after its liberation.
- That the UN take real measure to protect civilians
in Haiti against the systematic attacks and the reign
of terror of former agents of the Duvaliers'
autocracy.

The demonstration will take place in front of the
Brasilian embassy, Saturday 5th March at 13:00
o'clock. You are all welcome.

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Comments (12 of 12)

What its about

by Joe

Tue Mar 01, 2005 17:32

Eyewitness account: Haitian cops open fire on nonviolent demonstrators calling for return of Aristide.
http://www.infoshop.org/inews/article.php?story=20050228225304964

Photo: March 6 Haiti protest at Brazilian embassy

by LASC - LASC

Tue Mar 08, 2005 11:49

info at lasc dot ie

01 6760435

ton ton macoute

by Barry

Tue Mar 08, 2005 11:52

The special branch in Dublin currently employ a former Haitian policeman for surveillance duties. Apparently as he is a black man they reckon no-one will spot him as a guard. Hes a bad bastard too.

"Bad bastard"

by Devil Dog

Tue Mar 08, 2005 16:42

implies he's actually good at his job, Bazza, presumably monitoring your pals in the Dublin RIRA.

haitian guard

by peter k

Tue Mar 08, 2005 19:11

[Apparently as he is a black man they reckon no-one will spot him as a guard. Hes a bad bastard too.]

Is that meant to be a sly attempt at posting a racist comment? what you on about?

racist ?

by barry

Tue Mar 08, 2005 20:19

How is calling someone a bad bastard racist ?

Wise up you plonker. Coloured people are as good and bad as everyone else.

As for Devil Dog, Im referring to his beating the crap out of young kids a few years back. And he followed me in and out of the chip shop and around the city centre one day, so ive a dislike of the fecker for those reasons.

by jack white

Tue Mar 08, 2005 21:15

are you saying that Devil dog beat up kids and followed you around, or are you saying that this haitian cop did it?
i presume the latter but you should make it clearer

i mean the cop

Tue Mar 08, 2005 22:13

but i wouldnt put it past that other boyo now you mention it.

Sorry Bazza,

Tue Mar 08, 2005 22:42

Even though you sound like you're a cheap date, I'm not interested.

follow follow

by kintama

Wed Mar 09, 2005 02:11

Devil Dog with his fetish for big guns is not the type of chap you would want following you around. Given the propensity of his mates in the US Marines for blowing the shit out of retreating Iraqis it would not be advisable to let him get behind you.
Talking of cheap dates did the US not have some form of love affair with the oldTon Ton ? Could explain why this Haitian feels free to wander round foreign cities terrorising its citizens

Lurking

Wed Mar 09, 2005 13:14

He was lurking about outside the 32csm agm in Dublin 2001.

A number of shade wearing FBI agents were monitoring the Easter Commemoration that year as well in the company of the branch. Birds of a feather etc.

On Topic: Making Connections - Ploughshares Trial & Bishop Gumbleton

by redjade

Wed Mar 09, 2005 22:27

Disguised Coup, Hidden Abuses
The Haitian People Won't Give Up
http://www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?SectionID=55&ItemID=7358

February 28, 2005, marked one year since the U.S. removed at gun point the democratically-elected President of Haiti, Jean Bertrand Aristide.

[....]

Catholic Bishop Thomas Gumbleton, who had just returned from Haiti where he witnessed police intimidation of his host at a Catholic guest house, joined the other demonstrators to risk arrest by holding the protest along the fence in a space where demonstrators are usually arrested.

--- --- ---

Aftermath of a Coup
The Other Disaster in Haiti
http://www.counterpunch.org/quigley10132004.html
By Bishop THOMAS GUMBLETON and BILL QUIGLEY

In addition to the death and destruction caused by the recent hurricane and floods, there is another disaster going on in Haiti right now. It is a human rights disaster.

We just returned from Haiti with a human rights delegation for Pax Christi USA, the Catholic peace movement. Our media has made us aware of the human toll from the flooding. What we are not so aware of is that there has been a coup in Haiti that continues to take a substantial human toll as well.

The forced exile of President Aristide earlier this year was effectively a coup that eliminated the constitutionally elected government of the people of Haiti. The elected government was replaced with an illegally appointed government of the minority with economic and military power, supported by the U.S., France and Canada.

As a result, human rights conditions are now worse in Haiti now then they have been in years.

[....]

We believe that if all the people of the world saw what we saw, they would insist that justice be done for Haiti. We ask the world to look at the people of Haiti as our sisters and brothers. Recognizing that our sisters and brothers are in serious trouble, we must all work together to help them bring justice to their country.

Bishop Gumbleton in Dublin, in front of the GPO

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Comments (12 of 12)