No one knows it better than Kevin Pina, journalist and documentary filmmaker, and author of the following article about a recent demonstration in Port-au-Prince after a rain. What Kevin knows is that a camera is the best weapon. The Haitian National Police, under the eye of the camera, are amazingly restrained. Before they shove a protester, they check to see if the camera is pointed at them. And, in a confrontation between Haitian National Police and demonstrators when cameras are not around? Severe beatings, summary executions, and UN “peacekeepers” serving as lookouts.
Protesters clash with police following rain in Haiti
by Kevin Pina
Port au Prince, Haiti – HIP — About one inch of rain fell on the capital of Port au Prince early this morning sparking angry protests that tied up traffic near the airport for nearly four hours.
At 4:30 am as the rain began to fall a collective wail could be heard rising from the makeshift camps of those left homeless due to a massive earthquake that rocked Haiti on January 12. Cries of helplessness and misery quickly turned into shouts of anger and invectives against Haitian president Rene Preval as thousands then took to the streets in several spontaneous street demonstrations.
Throughout one of the largest marches that headed towards the United Nations headquarters located near the airport protesters also sang, “If Aristide was here he would be soaked along with us.” The reference was to former president Jean-Bertrand Aristide who was ousted in a coup in 2004 and continues to live in exile in the Republic of South Africa. Aristide offered to return to Haiti to assist in relief and reconstruction efforts but Preval and the Obama administration have rebuffed the offer. The U.S. currently has as many as 20,000 US Marines on the ground ostensibly to aid in relief efforts following the quake that killed an estimated 200,000 and left more than a one million homeless. Go to HaitiAction.net for full article
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Posted on March 7, 2010
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