Congresswoman Maxine Waters and Ossie Davis will speak at April 7th Brooklyn College rally to demand restoration of democracy in Haiti

Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For further information contact: Dustin Langley at the International Action Center at 212-633-6646 or Haiti Support Network at 718-434-8100

Spokespeople for the event include: Johnnie Stevens, Sara Flounders, and Teresa Gutierrez of the International Action Center; Kim Ives of the Support Network

A rally to demand the restoration of democracy in Haiti will be held at the Brooklyn College Whitman Theatre on Wednesday, April 7 between 6:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. to demand the restoration of Haiti's democratically elected President Jean-Bertrand Aristide. The truth will be revealed about the Feb. 29th coup staged by the Bush Administration that resulted in President Aristide's kidnapping and Haiti being occupied by thousands of foreign troops.

The 2500-seat Whitman Theatre, on the Brooklyn College campus, is located only a block away from the Flatbush Avenue stop of the No. 2 subway line.

"We're holding this meeting on April 7th because it's the 201st anniversary of the death of Haitian liberator Toussaint L'Ouverture in a French jail after he was kidnapped in a ruse by Napoleon's agents," said Johnnie Stevens of the International Action Center. "Just as Napoleon sought to restore slavery in Haiti by starving to death Toussaint L'Ouverture, so does George Bush want to re-impose colonial rule in the world's oldest Black republic by kidnapping and exiling Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide."

Stevens was part of a delegation that visited President Aristide in the Central African Republic and broke through the curtain of silence about his abduction. He was recently interviewed about his trip and the situation in Haiti by Gil Noble on ABC-TV's Like It Is.

"Even the Washington Post now admits that witnesses back up President Aristide's account of how he was tricked by U.S. embassy officials to leave Haiti's presidential palace. Both the 15 Caribbean counties in CARICOM and the entire African Union challenged George Bush's overthrow of a democratically elected government in Haiti and have called for an inquiry into the kidnapping and coup d'etat," said Sara Flounders, of the International Action Center, also part of the delegation to the Central African Republic. Both Stevens and Flounders were representing former U.S. Attorney General Ramsey Clark, who will be speaking at the April 7th rally.

Joining Clark at this rally will be Congresswoman Maxine Waters, who accompanied President Aristide and Haitian First Lady Mildred Aristide on their flight from the Central African Republic to Haiti, and Brooklyn Congressman Major Owens. Speakers from the Haitian Community will include former Ambassador-at-large Ben Dupuy, Ray Laforest, Paul Laraque and Jean Jean Pierre. Ossie Davis, the renowned actor who gave the eulogy at Malcolm X's funeral, will speak as will WBAI's Don Rojas, co-worker and friend of the late Maurice Bishop, leader of the Grenadian Revolution.

Media personalities on the program include Gil Noble, Amy Goodman and Bernard White. President Aristide's attorney Ira Kurzban and Larry Holmes of the International Action Center will speak There will be a special taped message from Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide about his kidnapping.

This event will also focus on the continuing assassinations of Aristide supporters. "Death squad leaders like Jean-Francois Chamblain are now being supported by U.S. Marines and French Foreign Legionnaires in their bloody business of eliminating opposition," said Kim Ives, of Haiti Progres newspaper, who was part of the delegation who visited Aristide. "Residents of Port-au-Prince's Belair neighborhood told the Reuters news agency that as many 11 bystanders were slain by trigger-happy Marines in a one-sided firefight."

Johnnie Stevens emphasized the threat of Bush's overthrow of the Haitian government to all the Caribbean, Latin America and Africa: "What Bush did in Haiti, he wants to do in Venezuela, Cuba and Zimbabwe. These criminals in the White House, State Department and Pentagon are even threatening Jamaica for simply offering hospitality to President Aristide and his family."

"The entire world is rallying around Haiti because the world owes so much to this heroic Black nation," said Stevens. "Without Haiti there would have been no French Revolution. Haiti opened its arms to Simon Bolivar, supplying the Liberator with arms, only requesting in return that slavery be abolished."

"Hundreds of Haitians were greeted enthusiastically when they marched to demand the restoration of President Aristide in New York City's 100,000 strong anti-war demonstration on March 20th. Flatbush will echo on April 7th with the call that democracy be restored to Haiti and that foreign occupation troops must leave this Caribbean nation," concluded Stevens.

This rally is sponsored by the Coalition to Resist the February 29 Coup d'Etat in Haiti. For more information contact the International Action Center at 212-633-6646 or Haiti Support Network at 718-434-8100.

The Truth Behind the Coup in Haiti
Weds., April 7, 6:30 pm Mass Rally
Whitman Theater at Brooklyn College

Join Ramsey Clark, Ossie Davis, Congresspersons Maxine Waters and Major Owens, Ray Laforest, Gil Noble, Amy Goodman, Don Rojas, and many others to stand in solidarity with the Haitian people's struggle to restore democracy in Haiti.

This will be an exciting rally featuring music, dance, powerful speakers, and a special taped message from kidnapped President Jean-Bertrand Aristide. Wednesday, April 7th will mark the 201st anniversary of the death of Toussaint Louverture in a French jail. Now, U.S. Marines and French Foreign Legionnaires are helping death squads hunt down trade unionists and political activists in the world's oldest Black republic. Every opponent of racism and military intervention has to take a stand.

THERE ARE ONLY NINE DAYS LEFT to build the very important Haiti Rally in Brooklyn on April 7. Your help is urgently needed to get the word out.

How you can help:

1) Drop by the IAC at 39 West 14th St, #206, to pick up flyers, stickers, and palm cards. Get the word out in your community, workplace, school, and place of worship.

2) Forward this announcement widely.

3) Purchase tickets in at advance for $10 or you can buy bulk tickets for $7 each for 10 or more. Student tickets are $7. (Tickets are also available at the offcice. Tickets at the door will be $15.)

Tickets are available at the International Action Center - 39 W. 14th St., #206, between 5th and 6th Ave., in Manhattan- call 212-633-6646 or the Haiti Support Network, 1398 Flatbush Ave., near Flatbush and Nostrand Junction in Brooklyn - take the #2 train to Flatbush - call 718-434-8100