“If they shoot at us they are doomed, if they don’t shoot at us they are doomed!!!”

(Chant of the people of Bel Air, March 4, 2005 – taking to the street just a few days after, in plain site of U.N. troops and the international media, the official Haitian police killed, beat and tear-gased unarmed demonstrators.)

Si yo tire sou nou, yo pran. Si yo pa tire sou nou, yo pran – translated in English: “if they shoot at us they are doomed, and if they don’t shoot at us they doomed. They cannot win…

Below is an article (in French) describing the demonstration yesterday in Haiti. It was peaceful and had ten times more people than the last demonstration where unarmed demonstrations were slaughtered by Haitian police from CIMO units, SWAT units and their special civilian attaches.

Yesterday’s demonstration was pretty much amongst the first peaceful demonstration in Haiti since the Coup D’etat because the U.N. troops forbid the Haitian police from coming anywhere NEAR the people!

Haitians have a saying – twou manti pa fon, that is, “a lie cannot hide too far”, or “no lie lies forever!” Or, to paraphrase this same idea, as stated by Dr. Martin Luther King, who meant to say it but since he did not speak kreyòl he said: “truth crused to earth will rise again.”

Tens of Thousands of Haitians throughout the poor neighborhoods of Port-au-Prince took to the streets yesterday, Friday, March 4, 2005, to denounce their repression by the U.S.-imposed regime and its murderous Haitian police, ex-soldiers, paid mercenaries (A.S.-DDOs ) and insane assassins.

It is absolutely incredible the courage of the ever-so noble Haitian masses. Unbowed, unbroken. As old Haitians often say, “we may fold, but we cannot break.” In the spirit of the ancestors, the people of Bel Air, in the spirit of Kapwa Lamò (Capois Lamort), as their comrades fall, slaughtered like animals, while the world looks away, they don’t stop standing up for their dignity, don’t hesitate to stand in front of bullets and the overwhelming force of France, Canada and the United States.

Like Kapwa Lamò, the people of Bel Air, Cite Soleil, Cite De Dieu, all throughout Haiti, they are teaching the world, the people of Haiti, just showed us yesterday, they cannot be STOPPED.

The battle of Vètyè on November 18, 1803 was the turning point in the Haitian revolution, It was the last battle for us that won us our liberty after 300-years off European enslavement. After Napoleon’s army was defeated by Haitians on November 18, 1803, their general, Rochmambeau, negotiated his safe conduct out. At the battle of Vètyè, the Africans faced 10,000 French soldiers. Our people where outnumbered, outgunned. Yet these, our glorious ancestors, these poor, illiterate, starving and enslaved Africans defeated the most powerful Euro army of that time.

Kapwa Lamò was a Haitian soldier in Dessaline’s army who distinguished himself so well at the battle of Vètyè, that today his name has become synonymous with Haitian indomitable courage and will.

At the battle of Vètyè, bullets killed Kapwa Lamò’s horse. He continued on foot. Bullets shot off his hat. He continued charging forward. French canon-fire tossed him many feets in the air. He got up, continued on foot as the canon booms paved his advance. Until finally the French general for Napoleon, Rochambeau, raised a flag for a pause and sent his compliments to the “valiant general who has just covered himself in such glory” AYIBOBO pou Kapwa Lamò. AYIBOBO pou the people of Bel Air, Cite Soleil, Cap Haitien, and everywhere in Haiti resisting the Morally repugnant elite’s tyranny, police force, Apaid-paid gangs, the ex-military and Euro-US re-colonization and occupation. AYIBOBO.

In our present Haitian history, as played out yesterday in Haiti’s sunbaked and blood drenched streets; as we continue forward on our long walk to freedom, they cannot get to the engine that is the heart of Haiti. They may destroy our bodies. Kidnap our president, criminalize our youths, slaughter resisters. They may have destroyed the car this hellish 2004-year, but as Haitians on the streets moving forward with just pure will are saying: THE ENGINE that is Ayiti IS STILL RUNNING.

It took more than 10,000 Haitian deaths before the U.N. would admit that it is the U.S.-backed-Latortue’s so-called “police” who are killing the people and not the “chimeres” who are killing anyone. February 28, 2005 cost us 5 precious lives, over 15 to 20 wounded. All the world saw as the Haitian police open fire on unarmed demonstrators on Feb. 28. Even U.N./international soldiers, generally complicit in the 10,000-Haitians killed in 2004, finally admitted, for the first time, they cannot be silent. Bush’s lies in Haiti begin to unravel.

Yet, that official liar of the U.S.-backed regime, a certain Mme. Coicou, even with international press pictures plainly showing Haitian police shooting at demonstrators, actually moved her mouth around to press out the sounds that “no shots were fired at unarmed demonstrators by Latortue’s policeforce on February 28, 2005.”

It is these sorts of outrageous, shameful lies that led us to the 2004 Coup d’etat and these Coup d’etat instigators are still vainly hoping to stay in power through force, lies, fraudulent elections and bamboozling the world. But as the people of Bel Air, Cite Soleil, Delmas 2, Martissant and the other poor neighborhoods, are saying: “The demands of the Haitian people will not be denied. If they shoot at us they are doomed, and if they don’t shoot at us they are doomed!!!

Marguerite Laurent, Esq.
Chair and Founder, Haitian Lawyers Leadership Network
March 5, 2005

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Une dizaine de milliers de membres et sympathisants Lavalas manifestent pacifiquement à Port-au-Prince sous la protection de soldats de la MINUSTAH – AHP
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Port-au-Prince, 4 mars 2005 -(AHP)- Une dizaine de milliers de membres et partisans de Fanmi Lavalas ont défilé vendredi dans différentes rues du quartier populaire du Bel-Air pour dénoncer la répression, leurs conditions de vie infra-humaines et pour réclamer la libération de tous les prisonniers politiques et le retour à l’ordre constitutionnel.

Cette manifestation qui s’est déroulée dans la discipline et sous la protection exclusive des soldats de la MINUSTAH, a été l’occasion pour les manifestants venus de différents quartiers populaires de la capitale ode dénoncer une nouvelle fois la police nationale qui a réprimé dans le sang le 28 février une manifestation pacifique de militants lavalas, tuant au moins 5 d’entre eux.

Les policiers haïtiens ont été interdits par les soldats de la MINUSTAH de s’approcher du périmètre de la manifestation, craignant qu’ils ne rééditent les exactions de lundi.

“C’est une honte que notre propre police soit interdite de s’approcher de nous pour mauvaise conduite, ont dénoncé des manifestants qui ont également scandé des slogans hostiles aux dirigeants intérimaires dont certains sont accusés d’avoir donné l’ordre de tirer sur les manifestants lavalas.

Les manifestants ont également dénoncé ce qu’ils ont appelé les mensonges honteux de Mme Coicou qui avait juré mercredi que pas un seul coup d’armes n’avait été tiré lundi contre les manifestants.

“ Cette dame fait pitié et ne fait pas honneur à sa profession de médecin, en essayant de couvrir des gens ayant commis des crimes et en se comportant en véritable marionnette”, a dit un manifestant.

Quelques minutes de recueillement ont été observées à l’angle des rues des Césars et Dr Aubry où la manifestation du 28 février a été dispersée dans le sang par des agents de la PNH, et également devant l’Eglise Notre Dame du Perpétuel Secours au Bel-Air.

Le porte-parole des militants Lavalas du Bel-Air, Samba Boukman a présenté ses remerciements à tous les militants pour s’être mobilisés massivement ce vendredi en faveur de la démocratie et du respect des droits humains.

Il a également remercié les soldats de la MINUSTAH pour le bon service de sécurité fourni.

“ Nous ne vous demandons pas de prendre parti pour les militants lavalas, mais de garantir la protection de tous, et de veiller au respect des droits de l’homme dans le cadre du mandat qui vous a été confié”, ont lancé d’autres manifestants à l’endroit des soldats onusiens qui avaient été sévèrement critiqués lundi pour avoir laissé les policiers haïtiens assassiner des manifestants pacifiques.

Les soldats brésiliens ont alors distribué des fanions et des drapeaux aux manifestants.

Samba Boukman a également appelé les militants lavalas à la mobilisation permanente pour faire passer les revendications des couches défavorisées. Une nouvelle manifestation pacifique a été annoncé pour le mardi 8 mars avec la participation des parents des victimes d’exécutions sommaires et des portés-disparus.

Une journée de grève générale est prévue le lundi 7 février dans la zone métropolitaine de Port-au-Prince.

AHP 4 mars 2005 1:45 PM
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Forwarded by the Haitian Lawyers’ Leadership Network
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“Men anpil chay pa lou” is Kreyol for – “Many hands make light a heavy load.”

See, The Haitian Leadership Networks’ 7 “Men Anpil Chay Pa Lou” campaigns to help restore Haiti’s independence, the will of the mass electorate and the rule of law.
www.margueritelaurent.com/law/lawpress.html