By Carlotta Mohamed
Nearly 200 people marched on Friday, Aug. 14 to protest the expulsion of Dominico-Haitians from the Dominican Republic. Sponsored by Assemblywoman Rodneyse Bichotte and Councilmember Mathieu Eugene, 15 Diaspora organizations marched from Prospect Park, Grand Army Plaza to City Hall with the Coalition for Human Rights.
“This demonstration is meant to put the world on notice and ask for an immediate end to the racist and xenophobic policies being perpetrated against people of Haitian ancestry in the Dominican Republic,” said Ray Laforest, director of organizing for AFSCME and District Council 1707.
“This same act was attempted before in 1937 when Dominican dictator Raphael Trujillo ordered the massacre of thousand of Haitians living near the border,” the coalition said, “and it’s happening again.
“They want to expel Black people, even those born in the country.”
This is the latest in a series of marches springing up across the country in support of the Dominico-Haitians facing discrimination and expulsion in the D.R.