Report- Backs: International Day of Solidarity With the Haitian People

Durban, South Africa: Abahlali Shack Dwellers Movement
The first report-backs from the International Day of Solidarity with the Haiti People are coming in. One of the most inspiring events was  organized by  Abahlali, the shackdwellers movement in Durban, South Africa. People came from all over the city. Most had enough of their own problems to worry about, but recognized that the fight for justice for the poor in Haiti is inseparable from the fight for justice for the poor in South Africa or anywhere else. A report is below, there is more at the Abahlali website.

Dublin, Ireland: Latin American Solidarity Centre/Workers' Solidarity Movement

The Latin American Solidarity Centre and the Workers' Solidarity Movement demonstrated at the Brazilian Embassy on a cold and windy night in Dublin. For more, click here.

San Francisco, California: Haiti Action Committee March on Brazilian Consulate

See Bay Area Independent Media site

Haiti Demonstration
We are still waiting on details from the demonstrations in Haiti, but there were 8 total (see Associated Press story).

Los Angeles: Protest at Brazilian Consulate

Montreal: Haiti aux Haitiens!

More reportbacks from the HaitiSolidarity website.

    Just got back from an amazing event in the Kennedy Road settlement. Taxis don't run after the commuter rush but the hall, which takes 300 people, was close to full. People came from all over the city although most had to spend the night in Kennedy Road because there was not transport home. Sihle Sidisi did an excellent job in co-ordinating everything.

    The visuals of the soldiers moving into the settlements [in Cite Soleil], blocking the exits etc are images that look strikingly like what has happened in settlements here last year in response to mass mobilisation although of course people are very rarely killed here.  When the films were finished there was a forest of arms up for people wanting to discuss the films. The discussion was excellent and very enthusiastic and focussed on how democratic national democracies could actually be in this world, why local and international agencies supposed to be 'on the side of the people' (from local NGOs to the UN) so ruthlessly and relentlessly stigmatize the politics of the poor as criminal, why Aristide was not speaking out in South Africa etc, etc. A few people in the hall had, despite a lack of access to all electronic media, been managing to follow the situation quite closely since Aristide was removed from office. People were tremendously excited to have been able to be part of the global day of action. Although the Haitian story is very depressing there is something encouraging in knowing that you are not alone and that the long fight back continues elsewhere.