By Monique Muise, Montreal Gazette July 22, 2010
http://www.montrealgazette.com/news/Pranksters+claim+France+repay+Haiti+...
Merismo Vital carries a bucket full of debris out of a destroyed house in the Fort National neighborhood on July 12, 2010 in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Activists who concocted an elaborate online hoax to make it appear as if France would repay Haiti the $21 billion US it demanded in compensation for independence two centuries ago promise to keep up the fight — despite the threat of a major lawsuit.
Merismo Vital carries a bucket full of debris out of a destroyed house in the Fort National neighborhood on July 12, 2010 in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Activists who concocted an elaborate online hoax to make it appear as if France would repay Haiti the $21 billion US it demanded in compensation for independence two centuries ago promise to keep up the fight — despite the threat of a major lawsuit.
Photograph by: Brendan Hoffman/Getty Images
MONTREAL — Activists who concocted an elaborate online hoax to make it appear as if France would repay Haiti the $21 billion U.S. it demanded in compensation for independence two centuries ago promise to keep up the fight — despite the threat of a major lawsuit.
A group calling itself The Committee for the Reimbursement of the Indemnity Money Extorted from Haiti (CRIME) held its first official news conference Thursday in Montreal.
"We have every intention of continuing with these kinds of actions," said a spokesperson for CRIME. "If (France) does take us to court, then it will draw even more attention."
The public appearance, streamed live over the Internet, was a bold move from a group that could soon find itself in legal hot water over a near-perfect copy of the French Foreign Ministry's official website launched on July 14.
CRIME used the site to issue a news release promising that France would reimburse impoverished, earthquake ravaged Haiti following the slave revolt in 1804 that earned Haiti its independence. In 1825, France demanded Haiti compensate it for its loss of men and slave labour to the tune of 90 million gold francs.
It took over 125 years to do it, but Haitians eventually made good.
Two French government officials have now gone on the record saying that France is considering legal action against CRIME, but the Montreal-based activists say no official court documents have been filed.
The group said that its website (diplomatiegov.fr) received 50,000 hits in its first day, but was quickly disabled by French authorities.
The site has since been replaced with a new version (diplomatiegov.info).
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