Manif Favilek, Potoprens 20 janvye 2004
filmed these women in downtown Port-au-Prince in January 2004. Their organization FAVILEK, walked the streets to demand that the U.S., Canada, and Europe -backed opposition forces stop the practice of forcing public school closings as a tactic to overthrow the popular Government of President Jean-Bertrand Aristide.
"they force schools attended by poor people's children to close, while their own children continue to benefit education in fancy universities abroad".
Indeed, inside Port-au-Prince itself, I witnessed how most shools were closed while, for instance, a private school (near Delmas 75) was attended on that day by white looking children. Perhaps, they include those of the foreign diplomats and rich Haitians who openly demonstrated (the diplomats included!) for the overthrow of the Aristide government?
This demo, as many others I had the privilege to film in Haiti counter the racist and classist myth propagated in maintream media that President Aristide's support base consist of a bunch of violent thugs. The term "bandit" used prominently to dehumanize Haitian resistance during the 1915 U.S. invasion resurfaced, alongside "chimère", during the 2004 coup period.
