Right-wingers are pumping up false rumors that Haitian immigrants eat pets

By DYLAN EDWARD

Springfield, Ohio, has become a focal point of national headlines and social media attention due to the spread of far-right conspiracy theories claiming that Haitian immigrants are killing and eating local pets and wild ducks in the park.

The racist rumors started after Springfield resident Erika Lee posted in a local Facebook group about a missing cat that belonged to a friend of a friend of her neighbor’s daughter. Lee repeated the rumor that Haitian immigrants were “eating pets” but has since publicly admitted that her accusations were unfounded.

Following these false claims, xenophobic scapegoating and racist hysteria increased among the far right. Republican vice presidential candidate and current Ohio State Senator JD Vance has fueled this narrative, which was echoed by Donald Trump during the last presidential debate. Trump stated: “In Springfield they eat the dogs – the people who came in. They eat the cats. They eat the pets of the people who live there, and this is what is happening in our country, and it is a shame.” A recent poll found that more than half of Trump’s supporters believe these racist accusations.

The xenophobic hysteria is not only amplified by prominent far-right figures, but is also propagated by militant fascist and neo-Nazi organizations on the ground. Recently, images of a flyer from the “Trinity White Knights of the Ku Klux Klan” circulated online, containing propaganda that read: “Foreigners and Haitians out; There is no place in America for this filth! We don’t need more police officers. We need mass deportation. ¼ of SPRINGFIELD already lives in poverty. Now $2 million is being used to care for these field animals.”

In the wake of this hysteria, more than 30 bomb threats have been made against schools, government buildings and the homes of city officials since last week, forcing evacuations and closures.

With a population of about 60,000, Springfield has welcomed about 15,000 to 20,000 immigrants in the past four years, many of whom are Haitians. Once dependent on the auto industry, Springfield exemplifies the challenges many small towns in the Midwest have faced, dealing with the outsourcing of industrial jobs and the associated economic hardships.

At the basis of this racist hysteria is the ‘great replacement theory’, which is defended by the extreme right. This false theory suggests that immigrants are invading white communities as part of a plot to remove them from political power. Although this conspiracy theory has gained traction among extremists, both major political wings of the ruling class are responsible for the displacement of hundreds of thousands of Haitian workers as a result of American and other imperialist interference.

More than two centuries ago, the people of Haiti defeated slavery and European colonialism and founded the world’s first black republic. Since then, they have repeatedly defended their independence against imperial domination, regime change and plunder. In October 2022, the Biden administration proposed a resolution in the UN Security Council to deploy a “multinational rapid action task force” in support of the illegitimate and unpopular Ariel Henry, who was installed after the assassination of Jovenel Moïse by US-trained Colombian mercenaries during World War II. an attempted coup in 2021. After Moïse’s assassination, key public institutions were systematically dismantled and replaced by foreign-funded NGOs, which at one point provided more than 80% of all services.

The US and others have justified their continued interference in Haiti’s affairs under the guise of humanitarianism, peacekeeping and aid, allegedly to weaken the power of criminal gangs and reduce violence within civil society. Ultimately, these so-called ‘peace missions’ confuse the symptoms of unrest with its causes. By August, more than 578,000 Haitians were internally displaced. The Haitian people do not need more foreign interference; Civil unrest in Haiti can only be addressed by ending the foreign-imposed austerity policies that perpetuate hunger and impoverishment, and by supporting Haiti’s full self-determination.

Ultimately, the ruling class’s attempts to amplify these xenophobic conspiracies are an attempt to deflect blame for the imperialist plunder and poverty they cause in Haiti and other places abroad. To the extent that they succeed in convincing American workers that immigrants are the problem, they are able to thwart the real solution: mobilizing millions of workers against the US imperialist ruling class.

Hands off Haiti! Everything in defense of the Haitian community! Defend the rights of immigrants!