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2 The Trial of Ibo Simon Popular Media and Anti-Haitian Violence in Guadeloupe Philippe Zacaïr On September 5, 2001, the court of justice of Pointe-a-Pitre, Guadeloupe’s largest urban area, became the main center of attention on the island. On that day, the court began examining the case of Ibo Simon a former singer turned politician and popular television show host. In an atmosphere filled with tension, Ibo was charged with repeatedly calling for racist hatred and violence against Haitian immigrants and other Afro-Caribbeans residing in Guadeloupe (Alvarez 2001: 6; J. C. 2001: 4; Chanlot 2002a: 15). For several months before his indictment, Ibo had used his daily television show to systematically portray Haitians as “scum,” “vermin,” and “dogs” which Guadeloupeans ought to rid their island of (Lesueur 2001: 16; P. L.: 2001). Ibo’s fiery speeches and unabashed calls for violence had not gone unnoticed and some had taken his words seriously. In late July 2001, an angry mob of eighty to one hundred Ibo admirers armed with machetes and sticks assaulted the house of an immigrant family from Dominica (E. R. 2001). Ibo had previously directed the attention of the assailants toward this family for allegedly not paying their rent and lacking respect vis-à-vis their Guadeloupean landlord. A woman and her many Guadeloupean-born children were thrown into the street in a display of unspeakable brutality broadcast live on Ibo’s show. In a similar manner, Ibo’s supporters began harassing Haitian street vendors while arsonists attacked small businesses belonging to Afro-Caribbean immigrants. During the three days of his trial, about 3,000 individuals gathered around the tribunal in support of Ibo. Guadeloupeans of every social background passionately debated the growing presence of Haitian immigrants in their midst. Forgetting all restraint, many voiced extremely negative views of Haitians. In fact, such denigrations did not cease after the court found Ibo guilty and ordered the cancellation of the show. For the last seven years, Ibo’s violent diatribes have been revived and disseminated widely in popular Popular Media and Anti-Haitian Violence in Guadeloupe / 43 media. In 2005, radio host Henri Yoyotte took over from Ibo, warning his listeners against an upcoming invasion of disease-ridden and bloodthirsty Haitians on the island. Although barred from hosting television shows, Ibo’s shadow loomed larger than ever. Interestingly, Haitians were the targets of almost all negative representations , while other immigrants from Europe, East Asia, the Middle East, and Africa residing in Guadeloupe seemed to miraculously escape Ibo’s and Yoyotte’s condemnation. Although Haitians are more numerous and perhaps more visible than other groups, Ibo’s daily televised vilification of Haitians cannot be seen merely as typical anti-immigrant politics. The almost exclusive targeting of Haitians and the fierceness of the attacks against them testified to the existence of a strong anti-Haitian sentiment among Guadeloupeans. Haitians seemed to be rejected less for being immigrants than for being Haitians. Yet, during the same period, while many Guadeloupeans deflected blame on Haitians for virtually every evil in their society, they have shown remarkable interest in Haitian history and in many elements of Haitian culture. One must live in Guadeloupe, for instance, to be aware of the extraordinary popularity of Haitian artists and konpa music among the people of the island . In addition, the commemorations in 2004 of the bicentennial of Haitian independence resonated in Guadeloupe and gave rise to cultural manifestations , publications in news magazines, and special radio programming on the history and culture of the Haitian people. Unquestionably, popular representations of Haiti and Haitians in contemporary Guadeloupe have been multifaceted. Guadeloupeans have combined rabid anti-Haitian prejudice with admiration for and borrowing from elements of Haitian cultural expression. This phenomenon is neither surprising nor new for social scientists. Writing in 1983 in a special issue of Les Temps Modernes, sociologist Laënnec Hurbon argued that such ambiguity lies at the heart of the relationship between Guadeloupeans and Caribbean foreigners living in their midst (Hurbon 1983). For Hurbon, this ambiguity is the very expression of the Guadeloupeans’ own uncertain identity. As they are summoned by the French colonial power to assimilate fully into the French nation, Guadeloupeans have tried to draw the contours of an imagined “Guadeloupean space” that is conceived as authentic and pure (1997). Haitians and other Afro-Caribbean populations are violently rejected as undesirable foreigners as they threaten this supposedly unique and homogenous Guadeloupean space. At the same time, Hurbon added, this...

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