Strongly condemning the military coup in Haiti, the General Assembly called today for the immediate restoration of the democratically elected Government of the exiled President, the Rev. Jean-Bertrand Aristide, but made no move to request that peacekeeping forces be sent to the area.
After delegates from around the world denounced the military takeover in Haiti and expressed support for Father Aristide, who was ousted Sept. 30, the Assembly unanimously approved without a vote a resolution demanding his immediate return to office, full application of the Constitution and full observance of human rights in Haiti.
The resolution, introduced by the Foreign Minister Roberto Flores Bermudez of Honduras, as chairman of the Latin American and Caribbean Group, also declared "unacceptable" any entity resulting from the illegal situation and expressed support for measures taken by the Organization of American States.
Later, Haiti's delegate to the United Nations, Fritz E. Longchamp, said at a news conference that he was very satisfied with the resolution, which he said "from a moral and political standpoint, is very important. We're not looking for military action to solve the problem," the Haitian delegate said. He stressed that Father Aristide wanted a peaceful solution to the problem and had called on the people to resist by nonviolent means.
In the Assembly debate, the United States delegate, Thomas R. Pickering, declared that his Government "does not and will not recognize the self-appointed junta which has illegally usurped power in Haiti." He said the United States strongly supported efforts by the Organization of American States to resolve the crisis and restore Father Aristide's "legitimate, constitutional rule."
There was no indication in Mr. Pickering's statement that the United States was moving away from its unequivocal support of the ousted President. Some Administration officials last week criticized Father Aristide for what they said was his condoning of mob violence by his supporters.
The French delegate here, Jean-Bernard Merimee, called the recent move by the military leaders in Haiti to name a provisional President "a second coup d'etat." He said President Aristide, who was elected with a large majority through free, United Nations-supervised elections, respresented "the only legitimate constitutional order."
In a strong statement of support for the Aristide Government, Canada's Secretary of State for External Affairs, Barbara McDougall, expressed "anxiety and outrage" over the evolving tragedy in Haiti. "We cannot accept that military intervention is the means to an end and that the people's will is overturned by the interests of a few," the Canadian official said. She urged all countries to join the O.A.S. in its effort to restore constitutional stability in the region, including a trade embargo on Haiti except for humanitarian aid.
Haiti's provisional President moved to form a new government today, announcing the appointment of Jean-Jacques Honorat as Prime Minister. Mr. Honorat is a civil rights leader and staunch foe of the deposed President, Father Aristide.
A terse announcement on the national radio said only that "Jean-Jacques Honorat is named Prime Minister."
The provisional President, Joseph Nerette, issued a call for Parliament to meet on Saturday to ratify the appointment of Mr. Honorat, a lawyer, agronomist and leader of the Haitian Center for Human Rights.
He was known to be the most popular choice among lawmakers, who met privately all day on Thursday to consider canidates from a list sumbitted by Mr. Nerette. Parliamentary approval is considered to be virtually assured.
Source: New York Times
Saturday, October 12, 1991
Monday, October 7, 1991
IN POLICY SHIFT, U.S. CRITICIZES HAITIAN ON RIGHTS ABUSES
Administration officials have begun to move away from the unequivocal support they have voiced for the ousted Haitian President, the Rev. Jean-Bertrand Aristide, citing concerns over his human rights record.
After Father Aristide was ousted in a coup last Monday, President Bush and Secretary of State James A. Baker 3d both demanded his reinstatement as President with no conditions. But today, officials said they had concluded that Father Aristide must publicly disavow mob violence and work toward sharing power with the Parliament. Such acts, Administration officials said, are necessary if he is to gain the Haitian and international support he needs to return to office.
With this shift, the officials, who had said his reinstatement was necessary for the hemisphere's democracies to resist a comeback of military rule, are now hinting that Father Aristide is at least in part to blame for his fall from office. While strongly criticizing the Haitian military for carrying out the coup, these officials now concede that Father Aristide's condoning and even encouragement of vigilante justice by mobs of his supporters in the streets has jeopardized his moral authority and popularity. Aristide Denounces Violence
After meeting with a high-level delegation from the Organization of American States here this morning, Father Aristide made a short statement in French to reporters, in which he denounced violence in Haiti by all parties, including, specifically, vigilante killings in which tires are placed around the necks of victims and then set on fire.. He also called on Haitians to respect the Constitution and human rights, thanked the O.A.S. for its efforts and said he would welcome some sort of presence by the organization in Haiti.
Father Aristide, a 38-year-old Roman Catholic priest, became the nation's first democratically elected president in December when he won 67 percent of the vote in a popular election.
In Haiti tonight, the Parliament moved toward naming an interim president to form a coalition cabinet and negotiate the return of Father Aristide. The goal was apparently not only to reinstate him but also to put conditions on his return that would force him to work with other Haitian institutions and leaders and to avoid any human rights violations. The reasons for the sudden refocusing of Administration concerns from placing full blame for the current crisis on the military to criticism of Father Aristide were not immediately clear. The new criticism of Father Aristide would put the Administration in a more favorable position to negotiate with the Haitian Army.
Underscoring the change in attitude, American officials are beginning to quietly disclose a thick notebook detailing accounts of human rights abuses that took place during Father Aristide's rule. The Administration has apparently been aware of the human rights violations for some time, but officials are only now beginning to emphasize them in their remarks to reporters. That point was driven home in meetings that the O.A.S. delegation held in Haiti last week with business and political leaders who complained that Father Aristide had failed to nurture the country's new democratic institutions. Several suggested that he was trying to develop another dictatorship with his own militia, and that he was at least indirectly responsible for scores of political killings.
The eight members of the O.A.S. delegation, which includes Bernard W. Aronson, Assistant Secretary of State for Inter-American affairs, returned to Washington this morning to meet with Father Aristide for nearly three hours. The members told Father Aristide that they had heard widespread concerns in Haiti from people who accused him of excesses in his rule.
An official close to the delegation said the members had strongly suggested that he speak out against mob violence and in favor of constitutional rule. The official said they had also advised him to "begin a dialogue" with Haitian parliamentary leaders to discuss the outlines of what kind of O.A.S. presence Haiti would accept to avert future human rights violations. "Part of the equation for putting him back in his rightful place and reaching a solution," a State Department official said, "is for him to assure all Haitians that he will not tolerate or condone the mob violence that has taken place."
The official added, "There is a generalized fear down there that the mobs that sometimes act for President Aristide's Lavalas movement have been tolerated or condoned by him." Officials stressed that while Haitian soldiers had used violence against crowds, Father Aristide's forces had also used force and murdered.
In a speech Father Aristide made late last month on the steps of the Presidential Palace, he appeared to agree to the lynching of opponents with tires placed around their necks then set afire. He said burning rubber produced "such a nice smell."
The small cracks that are beginning to emerge in American support for Father Aristide underscore the quandary the Administration faces in Haiti. For years Father Aristide complained bitterly that United States support had maintained the Duvalier family dictatorship in power. Despite Father Aristide's anti-Americanism and socialist inclinations, when he won overwhelmingly in Haiti's first free election, the Administration embraced him as an agent for democratic change.
Mr. Bush has placed less emphasis on the Caribbean basin than did President Ronald Reagan, but a number of senior officials including Vice President Dan Quayle and Mr. Aronson have given special attention to the island. These officials have expressed concern that the failure of democracy in Haiti could embolden other militaries in the region, while it could set off a civil war and a quickening migration of Haitians to the United States.
When Father Aristide was overthrown last week, the Administration was faced with the first test of Mr. Bush's new world order in the Western Hemisphere. It quickly intervened to demand that the army protect Father Aristide's life and allow him to leave the country. And some senior American officials would not discount the possibility that military force might have to be employed to put Father Aristide back in power.
Source: New York Times
After Father Aristide was ousted in a coup last Monday, President Bush and Secretary of State James A. Baker 3d both demanded his reinstatement as President with no conditions. But today, officials said they had concluded that Father Aristide must publicly disavow mob violence and work toward sharing power with the Parliament. Such acts, Administration officials said, are necessary if he is to gain the Haitian and international support he needs to return to office.
With this shift, the officials, who had said his reinstatement was necessary for the hemisphere's democracies to resist a comeback of military rule, are now hinting that Father Aristide is at least in part to blame for his fall from office. While strongly criticizing the Haitian military for carrying out the coup, these officials now concede that Father Aristide's condoning and even encouragement of vigilante justice by mobs of his supporters in the streets has jeopardized his moral authority and popularity. Aristide Denounces Violence
After meeting with a high-level delegation from the Organization of American States here this morning, Father Aristide made a short statement in French to reporters, in which he denounced violence in Haiti by all parties, including, specifically, vigilante killings in which tires are placed around the necks of victims and then set on fire.. He also called on Haitians to respect the Constitution and human rights, thanked the O.A.S. for its efforts and said he would welcome some sort of presence by the organization in Haiti.
Father Aristide, a 38-year-old Roman Catholic priest, became the nation's first democratically elected president in December when he won 67 percent of the vote in a popular election.
In Haiti tonight, the Parliament moved toward naming an interim president to form a coalition cabinet and negotiate the return of Father Aristide. The goal was apparently not only to reinstate him but also to put conditions on his return that would force him to work with other Haitian institutions and leaders and to avoid any human rights violations. The reasons for the sudden refocusing of Administration concerns from placing full blame for the current crisis on the military to criticism of Father Aristide were not immediately clear. The new criticism of Father Aristide would put the Administration in a more favorable position to negotiate with the Haitian Army.
Underscoring the change in attitude, American officials are beginning to quietly disclose a thick notebook detailing accounts of human rights abuses that took place during Father Aristide's rule. The Administration has apparently been aware of the human rights violations for some time, but officials are only now beginning to emphasize them in their remarks to reporters. That point was driven home in meetings that the O.A.S. delegation held in Haiti last week with business and political leaders who complained that Father Aristide had failed to nurture the country's new democratic institutions. Several suggested that he was trying to develop another dictatorship with his own militia, and that he was at least indirectly responsible for scores of political killings.
The eight members of the O.A.S. delegation, which includes Bernard W. Aronson, Assistant Secretary of State for Inter-American affairs, returned to Washington this morning to meet with Father Aristide for nearly three hours. The members told Father Aristide that they had heard widespread concerns in Haiti from people who accused him of excesses in his rule.
An official close to the delegation said the members had strongly suggested that he speak out against mob violence and in favor of constitutional rule. The official said they had also advised him to "begin a dialogue" with Haitian parliamentary leaders to discuss the outlines of what kind of O.A.S. presence Haiti would accept to avert future human rights violations. "Part of the equation for putting him back in his rightful place and reaching a solution," a State Department official said, "is for him to assure all Haitians that he will not tolerate or condone the mob violence that has taken place."
The official added, "There is a generalized fear down there that the mobs that sometimes act for President Aristide's Lavalas movement have been tolerated or condoned by him." Officials stressed that while Haitian soldiers had used violence against crowds, Father Aristide's forces had also used force and murdered.
In a speech Father Aristide made late last month on the steps of the Presidential Palace, he appeared to agree to the lynching of opponents with tires placed around their necks then set afire. He said burning rubber produced "such a nice smell."
The small cracks that are beginning to emerge in American support for Father Aristide underscore the quandary the Administration faces in Haiti. For years Father Aristide complained bitterly that United States support had maintained the Duvalier family dictatorship in power. Despite Father Aristide's anti-Americanism and socialist inclinations, when he won overwhelmingly in Haiti's first free election, the Administration embraced him as an agent for democratic change.
Mr. Bush has placed less emphasis on the Caribbean basin than did President Ronald Reagan, but a number of senior officials including Vice President Dan Quayle and Mr. Aronson have given special attention to the island. These officials have expressed concern that the failure of democracy in Haiti could embolden other militaries in the region, while it could set off a civil war and a quickening migration of Haitians to the United States.
When Father Aristide was overthrown last week, the Administration was faced with the first test of Mr. Bush's new world order in the Western Hemisphere. It quickly intervened to demand that the army protect Father Aristide's life and allow him to leave the country. And some senior American officials would not discount the possibility that military force might have to be employed to put Father Aristide back in power.
Source: New York Times
Tuesday, October 1, 1991
Haiti's Military Assumes Power After Troops Arrest the President
President Jean-Bertrand Aristide, Haiti's first freely elected president, was ousted tonight by the military, the army commander said. A Government official said Mr. Aristide was taken to the airport to be deported to France, adding that the United States Ambassador, Alvin Adams, accompanied Mr. Aristide to the airport.
Brig. Gen. Raul Cedras announced in a broadcast at 11 P.M. that the military had assumed control, following a day of violence in which at least 26 people were killed. "Today, the armed forces find themselves obligated to assume the heavy responsibility to keep the ship of state afloat," General Cedras said. "After seven months of democratic experience, the country once again finds itself a prey to the horrors of uncertainty," he added. "With all Haitians we will bring the ship to port."
The takeover began with mutinies at an army base and a police station Sunday night. Rebellious soldiers fired on Mr. Aristide's private residence at daybreak and on his entourage as it later headed to the National Palace. The soldiers later seized the palace and captured Mr. Aristide. His foreign minister, Jean-Robert Sabalat, said the President was taken to army headquarters. Diplomatic sources said Venezuelan, French and United States officials had negotiated to save the President's life.
A prominent Haitian politician, who spoke on condition that he not be identified, said Prime Minister Rene Preval and Information Minister Marie-Laurence Jocelyn Lassegue also had been arrested.
General Cedras, 42, became provisional Commander-in-Chief of the army on July 3, when Mr. Aristide named him to replace Lieut. Gen. Herard Abraham. The retirement of General Abraham was described at the time as bolstering Mr. Aristide's control over the military. "The armed forces of Haiti insist on reaffirming that it is an apolitical institution at the service of the Haitian people," General Cedras said in his statement, carried on Radio France Internationale. "It will respect constitutional order, guarantee democratic liberty and will not condone any act of pillage and even less so the flaming tire necklace execution."
General Cedras urged the population to help create a "serene climate favorable to the next election." A powerful sector of Haiti's 7,000-member army has long opposed the leftist policies of Mr. Aristide, a Roman Catholic priest who draws much of his popularity from the impoverished masses. The leaders of the military takeover today charged that Mr. Aristide was interfering in army affairs.
At least 26 people were killed and 200 wounded as Aristide loyalists battled soldiers. The sounds of gunfire continued late into the night. International Reaction The United States and Canada condemned the coup attempt and demanded Mr. Aristide's release. The Organization of American States demanded that Mr. Aristide be returned to office and said those who arrested him would be held accountable. It called a meeting of leaders within the next 10 days to consider options that could include the use of force.
The United Nations Security Council convened in a late-night session. The uprising occurred four days after Mr. Aristide addressed the United Nations General Assembly his first trip to the United States since becoming president of this coup-prone Caribbean nation. He said at the time that he was certain Haiti had left the dark days of dictatorship behind.
Mr. Aristide's visit to New York, a city where there are 300,000 people of Haitian descent, the largest population outside the Caribbean nation itself, touched off carnival-like celebrations. In his address to the United Nations, he stressed peace and human rights themes.
Among those killed when the unrest first flared Sunday night was Sylvio Claude, an evangelical preacher and two-time presidential candidate. Only one of more than a dozen radio stations in Haiti, Radio Soleil, which is run by the Catholic Church, continued to broadcast news after Mr. Aristide was seized. Some stations shut down after being strafed by gunfire, and others switched to music-only formats.
State television broadcast test patterns. The international airport was closed Monday afternoon. Mr. Aristide, a 38-year-old parish priest, had been at home with aides and a bodyguard at the time of the first attack, the government said.
Radio Cacique, an independent station, said an armored personel carrier was attacked when it went to Aristide's home to take him to the National Palace from his residence in La Plaine, six miles from Port-au-Prince.
The trouble began Sunday night with mutinies at an army training camp at Freres, just outside Port-au-Prince, and at an army-run police station in the downtown area of the capital. Shortly before midnight Sunday, the head of Radio Nationale, Michel Favard, went on the air to say a government official told him a coup was believed under way. Mr. Favard is a longtime Aristide aide. Minutes later, six soldiers burst into the station, handcuffed Mr. Favard and took him away, sources at the radio station said. An unidentified soldier, speaking on Radio Soleil, said the rebels had issued seven demands. One was that the Government disband a unit of 50 civilians reportedly being trained by the Swiss as a commandos. Some in the army feared the unit was being trained as an elite militia under Mr. Aristide's direct command.
The rebels also demanded that the Government confirm the appointment of nine officers assigned on an interim basis to the Army High Command. Mr. Aristide had been scheduled to pay a call on President Bush next week in the Oval Office, according to an official traveling with Mr. Bush on a campaign trip in New Orleans.
Mr. Aristide has moved since the first day of his administration to shake up the notoriously corrupt army, historically an agent of repression in Haiti. Upon assuming office, he replaced generals from the Army High Command with younger officers more inclined toward democracy, but has not made the appointments permanent. Delay of Confirmation
Dissident soldiers say Mr. Aristide has been withholding permanent assignment to ensure the generals remain under his control. Mr. Claude, the 57-year-old former presidential candidate, was set upon by a mob in the southern provincial town of Cayes as he was leaving a political meeting Sunday night. Assailants burned him in the streets, according to Radio Antilles, an independent station.
Prime Minister Rene Preval blamed the unrest on remnants of the Tonton Macoutes, the outlawed militia that brutally enforced the rule of the late President Francois Duvalier and his son, Jean-Claude Duvalier.
Street demonstrations in support of Mr. Aristide turned violent here tonight as hundreds of people in the "Little Haiti" neighborhood threw rocks and bottles at police officers and looted stores. The police, who dispersed the demonstrators with tear gas, said crowds in the neighborhood seized several cars and set them on fire, broke into stores and carried away furniture and other items, which were then used to keep bonfires burning.
The Police Chief, Calvin Ross, said that there had been some arrests and that one patrol car had been burned, but he reported no deaths or serious injuries. Demonstrators had taken to the streets upon hearing reports that Mr. Aristide was in military custody. The Haitian President visited Miami on Thursday to thank the large community of Haitians and Haitian-Americans for its support of him and his reform program.
The police, fearing violence like that which broke out in 1986 here during a similar period of political instability in Haiti, were called in quickly. But the police were under orders not to use live ammunition to break up the crowds. "We want Aristide," chanted demonstrators as they marched down the main street of "Little Haiti." Others shouted slogans blaming President Bush, who was in Miami today, and the C.I.A. for the military uprising. Some demanded American intervention to restore Mr. Aristide to power.
About 2,000 angry Haitians demonstrated outside the United Nations building in New York City last night in response to the arrest of President Aristide. A police spokesman, Officer Andrew McInnis, said the demonstration began at about 6 P.M. and lasted until past midnight. There were no arrests. "We want to challenge the U.N. to back up our President," said one of the protesters, Marie D. Volny, who has lived in Brooklyn since 1970. The protesters sang, danced, chanted and waved banners denouncing the coup.
Source: New York Times
Brig. Gen. Raul Cedras announced in a broadcast at 11 P.M. that the military had assumed control, following a day of violence in which at least 26 people were killed. "Today, the armed forces find themselves obligated to assume the heavy responsibility to keep the ship of state afloat," General Cedras said. "After seven months of democratic experience, the country once again finds itself a prey to the horrors of uncertainty," he added. "With all Haitians we will bring the ship to port."
The takeover began with mutinies at an army base and a police station Sunday night. Rebellious soldiers fired on Mr. Aristide's private residence at daybreak and on his entourage as it later headed to the National Palace. The soldiers later seized the palace and captured Mr. Aristide. His foreign minister, Jean-Robert Sabalat, said the President was taken to army headquarters. Diplomatic sources said Venezuelan, French and United States officials had negotiated to save the President's life.
A prominent Haitian politician, who spoke on condition that he not be identified, said Prime Minister Rene Preval and Information Minister Marie-Laurence Jocelyn Lassegue also had been arrested.
General Cedras, 42, became provisional Commander-in-Chief of the army on July 3, when Mr. Aristide named him to replace Lieut. Gen. Herard Abraham. The retirement of General Abraham was described at the time as bolstering Mr. Aristide's control over the military. "The armed forces of Haiti insist on reaffirming that it is an apolitical institution at the service of the Haitian people," General Cedras said in his statement, carried on Radio France Internationale. "It will respect constitutional order, guarantee democratic liberty and will not condone any act of pillage and even less so the flaming tire necklace execution."
General Cedras urged the population to help create a "serene climate favorable to the next election." A powerful sector of Haiti's 7,000-member army has long opposed the leftist policies of Mr. Aristide, a Roman Catholic priest who draws much of his popularity from the impoverished masses. The leaders of the military takeover today charged that Mr. Aristide was interfering in army affairs.
At least 26 people were killed and 200 wounded as Aristide loyalists battled soldiers. The sounds of gunfire continued late into the night. International Reaction The United States and Canada condemned the coup attempt and demanded Mr. Aristide's release. The Organization of American States demanded that Mr. Aristide be returned to office and said those who arrested him would be held accountable. It called a meeting of leaders within the next 10 days to consider options that could include the use of force.
The United Nations Security Council convened in a late-night session. The uprising occurred four days after Mr. Aristide addressed the United Nations General Assembly his first trip to the United States since becoming president of this coup-prone Caribbean nation. He said at the time that he was certain Haiti had left the dark days of dictatorship behind.
Mr. Aristide's visit to New York, a city where there are 300,000 people of Haitian descent, the largest population outside the Caribbean nation itself, touched off carnival-like celebrations. In his address to the United Nations, he stressed peace and human rights themes.
Among those killed when the unrest first flared Sunday night was Sylvio Claude, an evangelical preacher and two-time presidential candidate. Only one of more than a dozen radio stations in Haiti, Radio Soleil, which is run by the Catholic Church, continued to broadcast news after Mr. Aristide was seized. Some stations shut down after being strafed by gunfire, and others switched to music-only formats.
State television broadcast test patterns. The international airport was closed Monday afternoon. Mr. Aristide, a 38-year-old parish priest, had been at home with aides and a bodyguard at the time of the first attack, the government said.
Radio Cacique, an independent station, said an armored personel carrier was attacked when it went to Aristide's home to take him to the National Palace from his residence in La Plaine, six miles from Port-au-Prince.
The trouble began Sunday night with mutinies at an army training camp at Freres, just outside Port-au-Prince, and at an army-run police station in the downtown area of the capital. Shortly before midnight Sunday, the head of Radio Nationale, Michel Favard, went on the air to say a government official told him a coup was believed under way. Mr. Favard is a longtime Aristide aide. Minutes later, six soldiers burst into the station, handcuffed Mr. Favard and took him away, sources at the radio station said. An unidentified soldier, speaking on Radio Soleil, said the rebels had issued seven demands. One was that the Government disband a unit of 50 civilians reportedly being trained by the Swiss as a commandos. Some in the army feared the unit was being trained as an elite militia under Mr. Aristide's direct command.
The rebels also demanded that the Government confirm the appointment of nine officers assigned on an interim basis to the Army High Command. Mr. Aristide had been scheduled to pay a call on President Bush next week in the Oval Office, according to an official traveling with Mr. Bush on a campaign trip in New Orleans.
Mr. Aristide has moved since the first day of his administration to shake up the notoriously corrupt army, historically an agent of repression in Haiti. Upon assuming office, he replaced generals from the Army High Command with younger officers more inclined toward democracy, but has not made the appointments permanent. Delay of Confirmation
Dissident soldiers say Mr. Aristide has been withholding permanent assignment to ensure the generals remain under his control. Mr. Claude, the 57-year-old former presidential candidate, was set upon by a mob in the southern provincial town of Cayes as he was leaving a political meeting Sunday night. Assailants burned him in the streets, according to Radio Antilles, an independent station.
Prime Minister Rene Preval blamed the unrest on remnants of the Tonton Macoutes, the outlawed militia that brutally enforced the rule of the late President Francois Duvalier and his son, Jean-Claude Duvalier.
Street demonstrations in support of Mr. Aristide turned violent here tonight as hundreds of people in the "Little Haiti" neighborhood threw rocks and bottles at police officers and looted stores. The police, who dispersed the demonstrators with tear gas, said crowds in the neighborhood seized several cars and set them on fire, broke into stores and carried away furniture and other items, which were then used to keep bonfires burning.
The Police Chief, Calvin Ross, said that there had been some arrests and that one patrol car had been burned, but he reported no deaths or serious injuries. Demonstrators had taken to the streets upon hearing reports that Mr. Aristide was in military custody. The Haitian President visited Miami on Thursday to thank the large community of Haitians and Haitian-Americans for its support of him and his reform program.
The police, fearing violence like that which broke out in 1986 here during a similar period of political instability in Haiti, were called in quickly. But the police were under orders not to use live ammunition to break up the crowds. "We want Aristide," chanted demonstrators as they marched down the main street of "Little Haiti." Others shouted slogans blaming President Bush, who was in Miami today, and the C.I.A. for the military uprising. Some demanded American intervention to restore Mr. Aristide to power.
About 2,000 angry Haitians demonstrated outside the United Nations building in New York City last night in response to the arrest of President Aristide. A police spokesman, Officer Andrew McInnis, said the demonstration began at about 6 P.M. and lasted until past midnight. There were no arrests. "We want to challenge the U.N. to back up our President," said one of the protesters, Marie D. Volny, who has lived in Brooklyn since 1970. The protesters sang, danced, chanted and waved banners denouncing the coup.
Source: New York Times
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