Atlanta, GA – An international day of solidarity with Haiti is being called for March 29. Protests are planned for Atlanta, New York, Miami and Washington DC. March 29 is the day on which Haiti’s constitution was written. President Jovenel Moïse wants to rewrite Haiti’s constitution to maintain power and increase his term until February 7, 2022.

Since taking office in 2017, President Moïse has been making power plays, including firing judges and parliamentary officials, while reinstating a repressive national military that collaborates with Haitian police. Together, they violently repress Haitian activists who protest election rigging, lackluster COVID-19 aid, and political kidnappings. This current round of protests is a result of the state's failure to organize new elections in October 2020, so there is currently no legislature and not enough senators to function. Still, the Haitian people are showing resilience through 2021, despite increasing repression from the government.

Moïse intends to use his new power grab to gift to Haitian compradors, local business owners, and for a contract with Coca-Cola, where 21,251 acres of fertile farming land will be used not for food that will go towards Haitian people, but for stevia, a sweetener ingredient for Coca-Cola. In a country where there are food shortages, this is in direct betrayal of the needs of the Haitian people.

Activists will gather at 6 p.m. on March 29 in front of the Coca-Cola sign on top of the Olympia Building in downtown Atlanta. They are led by Community Movement Builders in Atlanta and partnered with Leve Kenpe Pou Ayiti.

Activists are targeting Coca-Cola landmarks in the city in order to send a message to U.S. corporations to back off Haiti, while showing solidarity towards the Haitian people. Atlanta is the home and birthplace of Coca-Cola.

This is an international day of action, with other demonstrations happening in Montreal, Canada; Caracas, Venezuela; San Juan, Puerto Rico, and more around the world. To get involved and plan a protest for your community, you can register your city at https://levekanpe.org/

#AtlantaGA #solidarity #GA