www.nytimes.com/reuters/international/international-haiti.html

By REUTERS
Published: November 26, 2004

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (Reuters) – Thousands of Haitians marched on Friday to show support for former President Jean-Bertrand Aristide, and called on the international community to include Aristide in the search for peace in the troubled Caribbean country.

The march was peaceful, in contrast to other recent demonstrations against an interim government appointed after Aristide was ousted in February.

Protesters kept to slum areas where support for Aristide still runs deep and Haitian police and Brazilian-led U.N. troops trying to keep the peace did not intervene.

``There cannot be peace, reconciliation and democracy without Aristide,’’ said rally organizer Samba Boukman. ``Denying Aristide is denying a majority of the Haitian people.’’

He called for the establishment of a new ``government of national consensus’’ that would include Aristide’s Lavalas Family Party and pave the way for the former president’s return.

Aristide, a former priest who championed democracy but was accused by critics of corruption and despotism, fled on Feb. 29 after an armed revolt and pressure from the United States and France for him to quit. He is now in exile in South Africa.

Since his departure, the interim government of Prime Minister Gerard Latortue has arrested hundreds of people linked to Aristide or Lavalas. Human rights groups say they are alarmed at a surge in rights violations by police.

Latortue’s government responds that Lavalas sympathizers, directed by Aristide, are responsible for political and gang violence that has killed 200 people since early September.

Officials also deny reports of summary executions and arbitrary arrests by police.

But the marchers, estimated by witnesses at around 6,000, said there would be no peace without reconciliation.

``Aristide is our blood, we’ll never deny him. They can do two things, either kill all of us or send him back,’’ said Mariline Dejean, 26, who wore a Haitian flag around her head.

Anger at the interim authorities is not confined to the ranks of Aristide supporters. Former soldiers who helped oust him say they are becoming frustrated at unmet demands to re-establish the Haitian army and for 10 years backpay.

Hundreds of students who previously denounced Aristide took to the streets Thursday to protest the killing of a colleague.

``Those in power now used us when they wanted to get rid of Aristide. Now they don’t need us anymore,’’ said Joseph Mezil, 24, a student at Haiti’s State University.