Over and over the words rang out—“Occupy Wall Street, U.S. Out of Haiti”—as protesters marched across the Brooklyn Bridge and then joined Liberty Plaza in downtown Manhattan. Once across the Bridge, an excited, militant group of protesters enthusiastically joined the Haitians in a moment of true internationalism.
The Oct. 7 march was an opportunity to help educate U.S. protesters about the situation in Haiti, which has been described in the U.S. media as simply a poor country ravaged by natural disasters. In fact, Haitians have been struggling to end the UN occupation of their country since 2004, enduring countless acts of brutality and political repression along the way.
The capital of Port-au-Prince remains a tent city 20 months after the earthquake. Last year’s presidential elections were marked with widespread fraud, and the banning of the popular Lavalas Party, which was removed from power in the illegal 2004 coup that deposed President Jean Bertrand Aristide. The U.S.-backed former dictator and thief, Jean Claude Duvalier, has returned to the country, another slap in the face, while the current puppet president praises the foreign occupation.
Although suffering through humanitarian crises and the ravages of imperialist plunder, Haiti has a rich tradition of struggle, from the historic slave revolution of the early 1800s, to last year’s revolt against the fraudulent elections.
The Party for Socialism and Liberation participated with Haitian groups in the solidarity march, which was led by Stand With Haiti Coalition, the International Support Haiti Network, the Lavalas Family NY Chapter, the Haitian Community to Uphold the Homeland and the United for Haiti Coalition.
