Haitians Rally Against Bush

About 60 protesters marched from Cambridge City Hall to Boston City Hall Plaza yesterday afternoon to express discontent over President Bush's handling of the political situation in Haiti and demand the reinstatement of former leader Jean Bertrand Aristide.

The group joined about 200 others already in the plaza, where more than 20 speakers were waiting to address the assemblage.

One of the group's organizers, Ehrl Lafontante, a native Haitian, said the protest was a "freedom march" to educate the American people about the Haitian situation.

The demonstrators began in Cambridge at 2 p.m., marched down Mass. Ave. and across Harvard Bridge and arrived at City Hall at 3:30 p.m. Protesters carried a ten-foot cardboard ship and signs reading "No Aristide, No Peace" and "U.S. Work for Democracy, not Injustice."

They also chanted in favor of the deposed Haitian leader, repeating "What do we want? Aristide!" and singing "Hallelujah for Haiti."

Jean Bertrand Aristide, who was elected president of Haiti in December of 1990, was overthrown in a coup one year ago.

Many of the marchers and others who assembled in the plaza were members of the Haitian Democratic Resistance, a coalition of 12 Haitian organizations working for Aristide's reinstatement.

Also in attendance were members of the Haiti Communications Project, a group seeking to "educate the community about the realities in Haiti," according to member Joanna Burnett.

Among the speakers at City Hall were Professor Gage Averill of Weslyan University and the President of Roxbury Community College, Hubie Jones.

Harvard's Plummer Professor of Christian Morals Peter J. Gomes was originally scheduled to speak, but did not attend.