“Haiti for the Haitians — Canada, U.S. out!” and “Canada Sortez d’Haiti” were two of the chants 350 protesters took to the streets of the nation’s capital recently. The Haiti Solidarity Demonstration — Ottawa’s largest in recent memory — kicked off a Canada Haiti Action Network (CHAN) week of action.

The same day the streets were alive in Ottawa, 50 people rallied for a “die-in” outside RCMP Headquarters in Winnipeg. Blood-stained participants fell to the ground with signs reading: “Victim of RCMP-trained death squads.” Throughout the week, movie showings, talks and public leafleting sessions were organized in cities across the country. Fifty people held a mini- march through downtown Toronto and CHAN’s actions concluded with 40 people taking to the streets of Halifax.

Endorsed by an impressive list of groups from the Canadian Labour Congress to Cuba-solidarity groups to the Canadian Peace Alliance the demands of the week’s actions — delivered on a large plaque to the Prime Minister’s office in Ottawa — were:

  • Withdraw the support of Elections Canada and all other bodies from any elections held under current conditions of repression, which include hundreds of political prisoners, police killings and terror, and the exclusion of the poor from participation;
  • Demand the immediate release of Amnesty International prisoner of conscience Father Gérard Jean-Juste, former Prime Minister Yvon Neptune, the folksinger Annette “Sò Ann” Auguste, and all other political prisoners;
  • Discontinue all RCMP training and logistical support for the human rights-abusing Haitian National Police, and withdraw all Canadian logistical support for the UN “peacekeeping” mission-turned repression operation;
  • Announce Canada’s support for the position of the governments of the Caribbean community countries (CARICOM) and the African Union, both of which are demanding an investigation into the circumstances of President Aristide’s removal;
  • Withdraw and withhold recognition of Haiti’s coup government until President Aristide is returned to oversee the holding of fair elections without repression.

Recent solidarity activities come on the heels of a 25-city book tour of Canada in Haiti: Waging War on the Poor Majority. In October, Haiti-based U.S journalist, Kevin Pina, brought his gripping documentary, Haiti: The Untold Story to eight Canadian cities and the powerful new film, Aristide and the Endless Revolution, has been screened on a number of occasions in Vancouver and Montreal. The film and book tours brought out more than 2,500 people and generated significant media attention.

Dozens of activists helped organize these events. Many more people have been plastering their communities with “Canada Out of Haiti” stickers (119,000 printed) and writing material for CHAN’s online forums. CHAN’s capacity — ten active chapters and counting — has grown substantially with recent efforts. There are now enough knowledgeable and motivated Haiti solidarity activists — combined with a good communication network — to have a presence at Haiti-related events everywhere in the country.

CHAN members have made sure to ask critical questions at recent conferences sympathetic to Canadian policy in Haiti, such as Montreal NGO Alternatives’ panel, “Haiti: A Democracy to Build” or the Waterloo Centre for International Governance Innovation’s gathering titled “Canada in Haiti: Considering the 3-D Approach.” Protesters have also been pestering Liberal cabinet ministers, especially Foreign Affairs Minister Pierre Pettigrew, wherever he speaks.

Some high-placed officials are beginning to admit what Canadian activists — who listen to grassroots groups in Haiti — are saying. Thierry Faggart, director of the human rights section for the occupying UN mission in Haiti, recently admitted that the post-coup human rights situation is “catastrophic.” (Duplicitously, he focussed on Haitian police misdeeds, failing to mention the UN’s role in massacring at least 23 civilians on July 6 or a number of lesser UN crimes.)

While the UN distances itself from the well-documented brutality of the Haitian police, Pierre Pettigrew continues to boast about Canada’s role in training and assisting the new police force, which is largely the reconstitution of the brutal army (created by the U.S during its 1915-34 occupation) Jean Bertrand Aristide disbanded in 1995. Pettigrew responded to repeated interruptions of a speech in Montreal recently by saying he is “proud” of Canada’s police training and support for the de facto government.

Pettigrew and Paul Martin’s uncritical support for the murderous installed regime of Gerard Latortue should be justification enough for toppling the minority Liberal government. Their role in destabilizing Haiti’s elected government, planning the coup and sending Canadian soldiers to help oust the elected president makes the Liberal’s intervention in Haiti even more scandalous.

Canadian intrusion in Haiti has been so disastrous that we should begin to talk about taking Pettigrew and Martin to the International Criminal Court. The people organizing the Canadian segment of the International Tribunal on Haiti, which screened video footage of police attachés chopping people to death in broad daylight during its second session in Boston, will hopefully help that process along.

Canadian policy in Haiti must change and the Liberals need to pay a political price for their crimes against Haiti. With Haiti’s sham elections planned for December 27 and federal elections looming here, the time is nigh.

To contribute financially to the Canada Haiti Action Network or join the list-serve, e-mail Kevin Skerett.

Yves Engler

Dubbed “Canada’s version of Noam Chomsky” (Georgia Straight), “one of the most important voices on the Canadian Left” (Briarpatch), “in the mould of I. F. Stone” (Globe and Mail), “part...