International Day of Action in Solidarity with the Haitian People, May 18th, 2023
In the face of Haitian people’s steadfast resistance to the escalating human rights catastrophe in Haiti, the Haiti Action Committee put out a call for protests throughout the US and the world on May 18th, 2023, Haitian Flag Day. The actions were coordinated to raise international solidarity with the Haitian people and their struggle for national liberation against the US-installed PHTK dictatorship and ongoing US/ UN occupation.
Emory Douglas, revolutionary artist and former Minister of Culture of the Black Panther Party, recently created this art in solidarity with the people of Haiti. His art was widely taken up by solidarity activists around the US and the world for May 18th Day of Action. At the top of his art, he chose the words: “Stop the Genocide”.
In San Francisco, the Haiti Action Committee organized a protest at the UN Plaza, followed by a march to the US Federal Building. Participating organizations included Black Alliance For Peace, US Palestinian Community Network, ANSWER, Workers World Party, SF Committee for Human Rights in the Philippines, Code Pink, Task Force on the Americas, the All-African People’s Revolutionary Party, the Malcolm X Grassroots Movement, Justice Vanguard, and many more. Kiyoshi Taylor, co-founder of Justice Vanguard and member of the Haiti Action Committee, was the protest emcee.
SF protesters in UN Plaza
In London, the Global Women’s Strike (GWS) organized a picket in front of the Canadian Embassy, likewise targeting the Canadian government for its active role in the 2004 coup and the occupation. GWS also organized protests in Philadelphia, San Pedro, and Los Angeles.
Regarding the action in London, GWS had this to say:
“ The lively event included participants from – Argentina,Canada, Guyana, Jamaica, Italy, Namibia, Nigeria, Uganda, the USA and more. We held placards saying “Support Haiti International Day of Action,” “Haitian Lives Matter,” and “Nou Pap Obey – We will not Obey,” a photo of President Aristide. Women of Color GWS facilitated. Leaflets were given out, some car horns tooted, and there were cheers. Selma James gave a rousing speech on the anti-slavery movement among British cotton factory workers who refused to work on slave cotton, and all our debt to Haiti for being the first to end slavery. Others spoke about Haiti’s achievements, President Aristide’s call for reparations, and why the Haitian people need our support. Dynamic chanting of “Haiti Yes” was led by asylum seekers from the AllAfrican Women’s Group.”
In Washington, D.C., The Black Alliance for Peace (BAP) and Code Pink, organized a picket in front of the Organization of American States (OAS) for its complicity with imperial intervention in Haiti.
In the words of Erica Caines, a Coordinating Committee member of BAP and a key organizer of the D.C. protest:
“Haiti is key to the liberation and transformation of the Americas’ region as part of the global anti-colonial revolutionary project and revolutionary Pan African movement and that is why Black Alliance For Peace is spearheading an effort with key forces throughout the Americas to build a people(s)-centered Zone of Peace in our Americas.”
Michelle Ellner, the Latin America Campaign Coordinator of Code Pink and also a D.C. protest organizer, made this solidarity statement:
“For over a century, Haiti’s sovereignty has been obstructed: U.S. occupation, military dictatorship backed by external actors, coup d’états, and the international guardianship of the UN. But the Haitian Revolution of 1790 has remained a vital part of the Haitian people’s identity throughout history. CODEPINK stands in solidarity with the Haitian people’s ongoing fight for democracy and the right to govern their own destiny. Only they have the capability to resolve their internal problems and effectively shape their future. If it weren’t for the endless foreign interference in their nation, they would have done so many, many years ago.”
In Atlanta, the Malcolm X Grassroots Movement conducted a social media campaign and expressed solidarity with the people of Haiti at its annual Malcolm X Festival.
In Belize, Yaya Marin, activist and the Chairperson of the United Black Association for Development (UBAD)– Educational Foundation (UEF), stood in front of the National Assembly Building in Belmopan, bearing the Haitian flag. In the article “Yaya’s Act of Solidarity,” Amandla, Belize’s leading newspaper, covered her action extensively, concluding:
“Yaya’s public display of the Haitian flag in front of the National Assembly has potentially sparked a spirited dialogue about the essence of national identity and the bonds between Caribbean nations. It’s a potent reminder that while each Caribbean nation has its unique path to independence, many share similar stories of resilience against colonial powers. As Belizeans reflect on the implications of Yaya’s flag-waving act, there is hope that it might serve as the beginning of greater mutual understanding and solidarity across the Caribbean.”
In Guayana, when an Arawak woman could not locate a Haitian flag to buy for their protest, she took it into her own hands to make one.
Dozens of organizations within and beyond the US endorsed and participated in these actions. Beyond the US, there were protests in London, Belize, and Guyana. All protests were unified in demanding that the US government and the Core Group:
- Stop using US tax dollars to fund the brutal Haitian police and affiliated death squads such as the G-9 responsible for gross human rights violations.
- Stop attacking and deporting Haitian refugees. Within one year, the Biden Administration has violently deported more Haitians than the previous three US presidents combined.
- No more foreign intervention in Haiti. Support the right of the Haitian people to establish their own transition government free from US and Core Group interference. Oppose the fiction– being perpetuated by the Biden Administration– that the Ariel Henry dictatorship is capable of organizing fair and free elections.
