Haitian bourgeoisie's protests end as fiascos

This Week in Haiti, Haiti Progres, Vol.21 no.36, 19–25 November 2003

Twice in the past week the Haitian bourgeoisie sought to demonstrate their political strength. But twice their shows of force turned to farce.

On Friday, Nov. 14, the so-called Group of 184 (G184), a civil society front concocted by Haitian businessmen and the Republican branch of Washington's National Endowment for Democracy, planned a rally in the capital's central square, the Champ de Mars, to roll out their new social contract and plan for how to end Haiti's political troubles. The group's proposal in the past has been that President Jean-Bertrand Aristide step down and the government be turned over to a group of wise men (composed in large measure of G184 members) to hold elections.

The G184 is led by André Apaid, Jr., whose family owns and operates one of Haiti's largest assembly industry conglomerates (see Haïti Progrès, Vol. 21, No. 35, 11/12/2003).

The initiative benefitted from vast media promotion since the bourgeoisie controls Haiti's most powerful radio stations. Spokesmen for the Washington-backed Democratic Convergence opposition front also boosted the demonstration.

It's a good thing for the Group of 184, in particular Mr. Apaid, to take this initiative, said Evans Paul, a Convergence leader whose front has periodically jostled with the G184 for leadership of Haiti's reactionary grouplets. He consulted many sectors, including the Convergence. For this, we stand on principle: we support any form of peaceful demonstration aimed at ridding the country of the Lavalas dictatorship.

The capital's business community also did their part. Large businesses and factories closed at 11 a.m. on the day of the demonstration and asked their employees to attend the rally which was supposed to start at noon.

We said among ourselves that we might go out, said a woman worker from one assembly factory, but not to support the 184. To support the government.

Indeed, on the morning of Nov. 14, large numbers of people began milling about the Champ de Mars, but most of them were members of pro-Lavalas popular organizations. Some said that they had come above all to hear the G184's explanation of the new social contract.

With the strains of rara music in the air, the crowd of Lavalas partisans grew larger, repeating the refrain If Aristide leaves, who will replace him?

At about 11 a.m., men in T-shirts emblazoned with Group of 184 started to appear near the Champ de Mars' Place of Artists, in front of the Rex Theatre. Soon many G184 demonstrators were waiting inside the theater with opposition leaders such as Paul Denis of the OPL, Victor Benoît of Konakom, Osner Févry and Marie Denis Claude of their respective branches of the PDCH, Himmler Rébu of the GREH, Frandley Denis Julien of Citizens Initiative of Cap, Turneb Delpé of the PNDPH, and Jean Claude Bajeux of the Ecumenical Human Rights Center.

Tellingly, most of the signs held up by G184 demonstrators were written in English. As if prearranged, CNN and other international television network crews, rarely seen these days in Haiti, showed up.

At its peak, there were just under 1000 opposition demonstrators faced with many thousands of pro-Lavalas ones. As tensions grew, the police succeeded in separating demonstrators and counter- demonstrators. But words flew between the two groups, soon followed by rocks. Policemen fired shots in the air and used teargas to disperse the skirmishes. Shortly thereafter, Apaid called off his rally.

President Aristide, you bear the responsibility for the calamity taking place in the country and for all that is happening on the Champ de Mars, Apaid charged after the aborted demonstration. You are not reconciling society, and we say that is grave. The Haitian people must draw their conclusions.

The police arrested about 20 people, including David Apaid, André's nephew, and Charles Baker, vice president of the Association of Industries of Haiti (ADIH). According to the police, the accused were in two trucks and a trailer with illegal firearms, T-shirts marked Service of Order (it is unlawful to pose as a policeman), and other material including shields, plastic handcuffs, and 9 millimeter pistol clips. Most of the accused spent the weekend in jail before being released.

On Nov. 15, Apaid held a press conference at the El Rancho Hotel to call a nationwide general strike for Monday, Nov. 17. The formal and informal sectors must take part in this strike while the foreign press is still in the country so that it can realize that the nation is not playing around, Apaid said.

Alas, his call was again shunned by the Haitian public. In the capital, much of the bourgeoisie closed its stores, banks, and factories, although many supermarkets stayed open. But for the informal sector's massive open-air and sidewalk markets where most of Haiti's commerce is transacted, it was business as usual. Buses and taxis were in full operation, and most students tried to attend classes, even though some private and religious schools closed.

The strike had practically no effect at all outside of the capital. In Cap Haïtien, only private banks closed their doors, and only one, Unibank, saw its branches close in Mirebalais and Hinche. In Port-de-Paix, Cayes, Gonaïves, and other cities, everything was open and rolling.

As if to underline the opposition's defeats, tens of thousands of Haitians turned out in Cap Haïtien on Nov. 18 for the official ceremonies commemorating the 200th anniversary of the Haitian revolution's decisive battle at Vertières. The ceremonies were boycotted by diplomats from the U.S. and European Union in protest of what they charge was the Haitian government's complacency or collusion in thwarting the G184's Friday demonstration.

The refusal of state authorities to let a peaceful demonstration take place has cast a shadow on the bicentennial celebrations, said the new U.S. Ambassador to Haiti James Foley on Nov. 17.

The misery [of Haiti] today is the result of a 200 year conspiracy, declared Aristide in a fiery 30 minute speech after placing flowers on the renovated memorial to the heros of Vertières. This conspiracy, this embargo, are genocidal.

The giant crowd responded with approval to Aristide's calls for defiance in the face of pressure from overseas powers and their local agents. We are not going to return to slavery nor to liberty without limits, however we will live in liberty or we will die, Aristide said, then repeating the watchwords of the Haitian revolution. Liberty or death, liberty or death, liberty or death.