Dozens of Montrealers answered the call of the Coalition
haïtienne au Canada contre la dictature en Haïti
(Haitian
Coalition Against the Dictatorship in Haiti) to
show their solidarity with the people of Haiti from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm
on March 29 at the Haitian Consulate in Montreal. Fierce and frigid
winds that tore apart placards and threw people
off balance had no impact on the vigour and determination of the
protest.
The
demonstration was part of the International Day of Solidarity with
Haiti that also saw actions in Ottawa; as well as in Boston, DC, Chicago, New
York, Atlanta and Miami, in the U.S.; Santo
Domingo, Dominican Republic; San Juan, Puerto Rico; Caracas, Venezuela;
Santiago, Chile; and Buenos Aires, Argentina, to express support for the
Haitian people who are courageously
opposing the dictate of de facto president Jovenel Moïse and
foreign interference whose aim is to prevent them from forming a
government in their own name that serves their interests.
Young
and old, from all walks of life, including many Quebeckers from the
Haitian community, made it clear that they are determined to support
the people of Haiti and oppose
imperialism, including the interference of Canada, the UN, the Core
Group[1]
and the Organization of American States.
Many
Coalition activists addressed the crowd in French and
Kreyòl ayisyen (Haitian Creole). Particular emphasis was
placed on the
insidious role of the Canadian government in supporting the
dictatorship and financing fraudulent elections in defence of private
economic interests, using our tax dollars. "Not in our
name!" they said. They emphasized that the people of Quebec and Canada
are against this foreign policy and stand with the people of Haiti in
their fight for justice and dignity. Calls were given for participants
to inform friends, neighbours and colleagues about the struggle
and to encourage them to get involved to help put an end to Canada's
anti-democratic interference.
Speeches were
interspersed, and frequently interrupted, by militant
slogans in French and Creole and by passing cars, taxis and trucks
honking to express their support. People shouted
slogans such as No
to the Dictatorship!, Solidarity with the Haitian
People!, Long
Live Free Haiti!, Jovenel Répressif,
Trudeau Complice!, No to Canada's Interference!,
and No
to the Core Group!
The participants expressed their determination to continue and expand
the actions in support of the Haitian people in defence of their right
to be.
Action Demands Canada Stop Supporting Corrupt
Jovenel Moïse Government
On
March 21, at 1:00 pm, several dozen people gathered outside the
Montreal constituency office of Marc Garneau, Canada's Minister of
Foreign Affairs to demand that the Canadian
government stop supporting the corrupt government of Jovenel
Moïse at
an action organized by Solidarité
Québec-Haïti. Several speakers all
pointed out that Canada's foreign policy
towards Haiti is racist and neo-colonial. The Canadian government's
"aid" to Haiti is, in fact, blatant interference in the internal
affairs of the Haitian people and a means of blocking the
efforts of Haitians to themselves establish the kinds of political
arrangements that would benefit them and not the private interests of
the U.S. imperialists and their lackeys, including the
Canadian government.
The Canadian government must
be held accountable for the huge sums
of money it makes available to the forces of repression in Haiti.
Protesters were also informed of a petition that
was tabled the next day in Parliament by the Bloc
Québécois Member of
Parliament for the Pointe-de-l'Île riding, Mario Beaulieu,
demanding:
"1. The release of all documents related to
the 'Ottawa Haiti Initiative'; and 2. the holding of a hearing of the
Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development to
specifically look into all aspects of the 'Ottawa
Haiti Initiative,' including links to the Core Group."
Many
passers-by on foot and in cars expressed support for the participants'
demands.
Solidarity Actions in the U.S.
Boston,
Massachusetts
Washington,
DC
New
York City, New York
Chicago,
Illinois
Note
1. The
Core Group is composed of the
Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General, the
Ambassadors of Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Spain, the European
Union, the United States of America, and the Special Representative of
the Organization of American States.
This article was published in
Volume 51 Number 4 - April 4, 2021
Article Link:
https://cpcml.ca/Tmlm2021/Articles/M5100410.HTM
Website: www.cpcml.ca
Email: editor@cpcml.ca
