Massive Protest demanding Aristide's return in Haiti's second largest city

Cap Haitien, Haiti, December 16, 2004 (Haiti Information Project) On the anniversary of President Jean-Bertrand Aristide’s first electoral landslide in 1990, more than 10,000 Haitians took to the streets of Haiti’s second largest city to demand his return and an end to repression against his Lavalas political party. Aristide was ousted last February 29th amid charges he was kidnapped by U.S. Marines and remains a guest of the Republic of South Africa where he resides.

Following earlier negotiations with Chilean troops of the United Nations and the Haitian National Police (PNH), an agreement was reached with organizers to provide security for the peaceful demonstration. One organizer stated, "Although we see the UN and the police allowing us to demonstrate peacefully today for the return of our president in Cap Haitien, we have no illusions that their role could turn repressive once again.

"Even though we are happy for their cooperation today, we cannot forget it was the same UN that stood by and allowed the police to kill unarmed demonstrators in the capital on September 30th. It is the same UN that has allowed the illegal government of Gerard Latortue to fill the prisons with Lavalas and has allowed the former military to return and kill us."

A huge banner accused Group 184 of having orchestrated accusations against Lavalas of mounting a violent campaign called "Operation Baghdad." An organizer of today’s demonstration explained, "It was the Group 184 and [sweatshop owner] Andre Apaid who twisted the violence following September 30th into justifying our extermination. Everyone knows September 30th began as a peaceful protest that degenerated into violence after the UN stood by as police opened fire on the crowd. We denounce the campaign to portray our Lavalas movement as “gangsters” and “bandits” -- a fabrication that feeds the violence to justify our slaughter. Today we reclaim our right to peacefully demonstrate to demand the return of our constitutional President Jean-Bertrand Aristide."

Chanting "Aristide must return!" and "We will never accept the kidnapping of our president!" thousands of residents poured from the poor neighborhoods of Cap Haitien to join the demonstration. The massive crowd broke into frenzy at the monument of Vetiere, which commemorates the defeat of the Napoleon’s armies in 1804, when Moise Jean-Charles joined them. Jean-Charles is founder of the Movement of Milot Peasants and former popular mayor of the town of Milot located below the historic Citadel.

Today’s festive and peaceful demonstration in Haiti’s second largest city stood in stark contrast to the atmosphere of fear and violence in the capital of Port au Prince since September 30th. Two days ago the UN and the US-installed government stood by as members of the Haiti’s brutal former military seized the residence of Aristide in the suburb of Tabarre. Many in Lavalas considered the takeover to be an orchestrated provocation just before the Dec. 16th anniversary -- to fuel the violence and justify increased repression against Lavalas.

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