44 cities say: "Stop the War against the People of Haiti"

   

The following places in 15 countries and four continents will have demonstrations or other Haiti solidarity events on or around September 30, 2005, as part of the International Day of Solidarity with the Haitian People. This includes three countries in Africa, three in Europe, two in North America and seven countries in Latin America and the Caribbean.

 

1.   San Francisco -- Rally & picket at Federal Bldg, 450 Golden Gate,SF -- Friday 9/30 at 8:00 a.m.

2.   Kinshasa, Congo -- A ceremony in solidarity with Haiti will be performed on 9/30 at the Flaming Fire Church in the Congolese capital of Kinshasa. The ceremony, recalling highlights in the history of Haiti and the significance of this history for the world's people, will be televised on Congolese National Television.

3.   Montreal -- Demonstration at US consulate on 9/30 from Noon to 3 pm....On Saturday, Oct 1st,  at 7 pm, showing of the Katherine Kean film "Rezistans" at 2651 Cremazie Est (corner 2nd ave)

4.   Durban, South Africa -- A struggle rally will take place at 6 p.m. on 9/30 at the Saint Regis Building, 42 Smith Street in Durban. The program will open with one minute of silence "to remember the fallen in the struggle for democracy since February 29, 2004" coup d'etat. The meeting will include "preparation of the memorandum that will be sent to Kofi Annan, to President Thabo Mbeki of South Africa, to the US, French and Canadian embassies in Pretoria-South Africa." The memo will highlight the five demands of the September 30 international actions (see below). 

5.   Sao Paulo, Brazil -- In the evening of 9/30 a large rally for Haiti will take place at the spacious union hall of the Sao Paulo Municipal Workers Union, aimed particularly at young trade unionists and students.

6.   Santiago, Chile -- Picketing at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs beginning at 12:00 noon on 9/30. A Committee for Haiti has been formed, in which various organizations are participating. According to one statement issued by protesters: "On September 30th, activists... from various countries will come out together in solidarity with the Haitian people, currently suffering from one of the most brutal military occupations in the world, sponsored by the UN, the US, and certain Latin American governments such as Chile, Brazil and Argentina....Just like in the times of Pinochet, the Chilean military has shown the world that it hasn't lost its skills for torture, killing and kidnapping when it comes to facing social fighters....We are taking part in this protest out of a profound feeling of Latin American brotherhood, of working-class and popular unity..." Demands include "Immediate end to the occupation"; "Reimbursement by France of the US$21 Billion" extorted from Haiti between 1825 and 1947; "Respect for the Haitian people's sovereignty"; and "Long live the struggle against the masters ruling that country."

7.   Miami -- Demonstration 9/30 at 11 a.m. at the Brazilian consulate, 80 SW 8th St. [Note: the brutal UN military force in Haiti, responsible for July 6th massacre in Cite Soleil and other mass killings of civilians, is commanded by a Brazilian general.]

8.    Washington, DC -- Demonstration and photo exhibit in front of Haitian embassy, 2311 Massachusetts Ave NW,

from 10 am to 1 pm on 9/30. For information call 202-332-0292. The photo exhibit will highlight victims of the 1991 and 2004 coups d'etat, and victims of the current coup regime in Haiti.

9.   New York City -- Patizan Jezikri will hold a mass starting at 9 am on Saturday, Oct 1st at Holy Innocent Church in Brooklyn (Beverly Rd & East 17th)....Following the mass there will be a march sponsored by Committee against Genocide in Haiti, from 11am to3 pm. The march will begin at the church, take Beverly Rd to Flatbush ave to Church ave, down Nostrand to rally at Nostrand and Foster Avenues in Brooklyn....On Friday 9/30 at 6:30 pm, a Solidarity Encounter between Haiti, Dominican Republic and Venezuela will take place at the Venezuelan Consulate, 7 East 51st St. (at 5th Ave). The theme is "Same History--Same Struggle."

10.  Oslo, Norway -- Public meeting on 9/30 at Soria Moria, on the theme, "Stop the Black Holocaust".

11.  Benin, West Africa -- One of the organizers of the event writes: "We need to take up the message of September 30th and revive the flame of our friendship with Haiti."

12.  Dominican Republic

13.  Dublin , Ireland   -- Demonstration at 6:00 pm on 9/30 at Central Bank, Dame Street, Dublin.

14.  Vancouver -- Demonstration from 5 to 6 pm on 9/30 at Main Library, 350 W.Georgia St, downtown Vancouver....

At 8:45 pm on 9/30, there will be a showing of the Nicolas Rossier film "Aristide and the Endless Revolution" at Granville 5 cinema, Granville Street, as part of the Vancouver Intl Film Festival.

15.  Brasilia, Brazil -- During the afternoon of 9/30 a delegation of trade unionists will go to the Planalto Palace in the Brazilian capital. They will request a response from President Lula da Silva to the petition delivered to his office on July 21st, as part of coordinated international protests on that day to protest the July 6th massacre by UN troops in Cite Soleil. [At that time, a 15-member delegation, including leading members of Congress and the CUT labor federation, presented a petition calling for withdrawal of all Brazilian troops from Haiti and respect for Haiti’s sovereignty. The petition to Lula was based on a report by a US Labor/Human Rights Delegation to Haiti. ("Growing Evidence of a Massacre by UN Occupation Forces in Port-au-Prince Neighborhood of Cite Soleil").]

16.  San Jose, Costa Rica -- On 9/30, an exhibition of photographs of Haiti will open at the Colegio Universitario de Alajuela, in the Costa Rican capital, sponsored by the Arias Foundation for Peace and Human Progress. Students will put on a theatrical performance about the present-day reality in Haiti.

17.  Boston -- Picket at the Haitian Consulate, 545 Boylston St., Copley Sq., 6:00-7:30 pm on 9/30. For information call 617-909-3293.

18.  Newark, NJ -- "Speak Out for Haiti" at Federal Building, 970 Broad St., Noon-1:00 pm on 9/30. Some are assembling at 11:30 at 39 Bleeker Street, and walking with signs to the Speak-Out at the Federal Bldg, which is about 12 blocks from Penn Station.

19.   Paris, France

20.  Los Angeles -- Rally & picket at the Brazilian consulate, 8484 Wilshire Blvd, Beverly Hills -- 9/30 at 12:00 noon. For information call 323-292-7405.

21.  Ottawa -- Canadian labor activists organized a mid-day forum on Sept. 24th on "Workers' Rights after the Coup in Haiti," featuring Paul Loulou Chery, Secretary General of the Confederation of Haitian Workers (CTH), Haiti's largest labor organization. Attendees then marched to Confederation Park, chanting "End the occupation of Haiti,"

"Free the political prisoners," "Liberez Pere Jean-Juste" and "Liberez So'Anne". Joining up with the hundreds-strong anti-war march, they marched to Parliament Hill where Ottawa Haitian community leader Jean St.-Vil gave a fiery speech about the war on Haiti's people. At each stop of the anti-war march, as it proceeded through downtown to the US embassy, the MC's referred to the situation in Haiti....On 9/30 there will be informational picketing and leafleting about Haiti in the Canadian capital.

22.  Philadelphia

23.  San Jose, Calif. -- Two protests on 9/30. Lunchtime protest 1130am-1 pm at French Consulate, 2nd Street & Santa Clara, to protest the French role in the 2004 coup...Afternoon protest 4:30-6 pm at Federal Bldg, 2nd Street near San Carlos.

24.  Toronto -- Public meeting and film showing on 9/30....Haiti workshop at Youth Action Conference on 9/30.

25.  Martinique

26.   Guadeloupe

27.  Dominica

28.  Minneapolis/St. Paul -- Rally for Haiti on Sept 28 on Lake Street Bridge, between St. Paul and Minneapolis.

29.  Charlottetown, Canada -- Public meeting on Sept 29 at 2:30 pm, UPEI, Irving Theatre

30.  Hayward, California -- Vigil on Thurs. 9/29, 4-5 pm at corner of Jackson, Foothill & Mission in Hayward.           

31.  Portland, Oregon -- Film showing of Kevin Pina film " Haiti: Harvest of Hope" at People's Food Cooperative,

3029 SE 21st Avenue, on Sept. 28 at 7 pm....On 9/30 Portland Haiti activists will conduct a "call-in", "fax blast" and "email blast" to contact US officials, MINUSTAH (UN) and Haitian government officials -- "calling for a end to political persecution, the return of Haiti's legitimate elected officials, release of all political prisoners, and for an end to the UN's role in supporting the illegal Interim Government. These things must happen before elections can take place."

32.  Enterprise, Oregon -- Vigil at 6:00 pm on 9/30 at the Courthouse.

33.  Fredericton ( New Brunswick, Canada) -- Public meeting on Sept 27, at 7 pm, Tilley Hall, UNB

34.  Halifax ( Nova Scotia) -- Public meeting on 9/30 at 7 pm, Dalhousie University, Weldon Law Bldg

35.  Tatamagouche ( Nova Scotia) -- Screening of Kevin Pina film, "Haiti: the Untold Story" on Oct. 2, at 3:30 pm.

36.  New Glasgow ( Nova Scotia) -- Public meeting at New Glasgow library, Oct. 3 at noon

37.  Antigonish ( Nova Scotia) -- Public meeting at the Coady Institute on Oct. 3 at 7 pm

38.  Detroit -- On 9/30, Haiti solidarity activists will conduct an all-day "call-a-thon" demanding an end to the persecution of pro-democracy activists in Haiti and freedom for all political prisoners, as well as for an independent investigation into ongoing human rights violations by the coup regime and its backers....At Wayne State University on 9/30 students will collect donations to send to women in the popular neighborhoods in Haiti who have been victims of sexual or physical assault since the 2004 coup.

39.  Northampton , Mass. -- Two teachers from Haiti visited western Massachusetts the weekend of Sept. 23-24,

and spoke at two venues about their program in Haiti called "Circles of Change --the gentle but revolutionary way they teach teachers through real dialogue and mutual respect, moving away from traditional hierarchy." They spoke at the Jewish Community of Amherst synagogue in Amherst, Mass., and after the anti-war rally on the 24th, at a community room in the co-op food market in Greenfield, Mass.
40.  Huddleston, Virginia -- The Parish Haiti Committee will have a house meeting on Haiti and film showing on

Oct. 5th, in unity with the call and demands of the Sept. 30 International Day of Solidarity with Haiti.

41.  Portland , Maine -- Vigil for Haiti at 12:00 noon at Tommys Park in Portland, Exchange & Middle Streets. At about 3:30 pm Bishop Thomas Gumbleton, a strong supporter of Haiti, will hold a press conference at the Portland airport. Bishop Gumbleton recently visited Father Jean-Juste in prison in Port au Prince.

42.  Columbus, Indiana -- At 7 pm on 9/30 there will be a Candelight Vigil and Teach-in for Haiti on the steps of City Hall, 123 Washington St., organized by the Columbus student chapter of Amnesty International, which issued this statement: "The purpose of this vigil is to stand together in solidarity with the people of Haiti, and:

~to express outrage at the brutality of the US backed current regime; ~to denounce its repression of the poor and its persecution of pro-democracy advocates; ~to recall Haiti's history of suffering and injustice; ~to deplore our country's part in this cruel history...We will light our candles against oblivion: ~for all those who are unjustly imprisoned; ~for those who have been raped and tortured; ~for those who have been massacred; ~for those who are hiding in terror.

~And we will light our candles for the people of Haiti who endure despite the never ending denial of their basic human rights to food, shelter, health, education, and safety." Joining the vigil will be members of Friends of Haiti (twinned with Limonad in N. Haiti), Columbus Peace Fellowship (affiliated with the Fellowship of Reconciliation), Catholic parish of St. Bartholomew, First Presbyterian Church, and Columbus Unitarian Universalist Congregation.

43.  Sydney, Nova Scotia -- At 7 pm on Oct. 4th, there will be a public meeting on Canada's role in Haiti, featuring author Yves Engler, at University College of Cape Breton, Room CE 306, in unity with the call and demands of the Sept. 30 International Day of Solidarity with Haiti. Brother Engler's new book, co-authored with Anthony Fenton, is titled " Canada in Haiti: Waging War on the Poor Majority."

44.  Ekurhuleni, South Africa -- There will be a Youth Rally on Oct. 2, in unity with the call and demands of the Sept. 30 International Day of Solidarity with Haiti, in the South African city of Ekurhuleni, as "part of the buildup towards the February 2006 marches" being planned by organizations including the Pan Africanist Youth Congress of Azania.

 

For more information, or to add your city or town to this mobilization, email the Sept 30th Organizing Committee at sub@sonic.net  or call 510-847-8657.

PLEASE SEND DETAILS OF THE ACTION IN YOUR CITY.  

 

The 44 cities participating in the Sept. 30 "Stop the War against the Haitian People" campaign are united around the following demands:

• Stop the massacres of the poor by UN troops, Haitian National Police and paramilitary mercenaries under police control. 

• Restore the democratically elected government of President Aristide.

• Free Father Jean-Juste and ALL the more than 1000 political prisoners in Haiti’s jails.

• End the brutal US/UN Occupation – Restore Haiti’s sovereignty.

• Open an independent inquiry into the February 29, 2004 coup and forced removal of President Aristide -- including the role of the US, France and Canada.