Tuesday, December 6, 2022

Forgotten History: U.S. Marines Massacre Peacful Protestors in Haiti


December 6, 1929, The United States Marine Corps had been occupying Haiti to protect private U.S. corporate interests for nearly 15 years and an increasingly restless population had declared a national general strike, in response the U.S. and the figurehead government declared martial law.  

On December 6 protesters began marching on the port of Les Cayes peacefully. They were protesting the economic conditions of the nation and Les Cayes is the largest port where shipments of sugar cane and tobacco are shipped. The protestors were reported to be requesting the release of three protest organizers and strike leaders. Marines who were standing guard on the outside of the city had machine guns and as the large crowd advanced made requests, but the Haitians threw rocks and cut threw the sugar cane fields. This apparently unsettled and panicked the marines and they fired into the crowd killing 22 and wounding over 50. In response to international protests, U.S. Secretary of State Henry L. Stimson defended the marines stating the patrols showed, “great forbearance and judgment.”

President Hoover ordered 500 more marines to Haiti the same day and two naval warships. The senate also passed a $500,000 appropriation to study the situation and determine what was causing the “Rebellious attacks and attitude,” of the Haitian people.

This senate investigation evolved to become The Forbes Commission which after taking time to look into the occupation declared it a failure and recommended the withdrawal of the American Marines from Haiti as soon as possible. This finally did happen in 1934.s

Sources:

http://islandluminous.fiu.edu/part08-slide19.html

https://www.sciencespo.fr/mass-violence-war-massacre-resistance/en/document/massacres-perpetrated-20th-century-haiti.html

https://www.newspapers.com/image/543684340/?terms=Les%20Cayes&match=1


 

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