Group Sees Michel Martelly at Labor Day Parade a “Hazard,” Wants Him Kept Away

A group of New York event organizers has started an online petition to keep former Haitian President Michel Martelly from the city’s storied West Indian American Day Carnival parade on Eastern Parkway, saying a “Sweet Micky” performance poses a safety risk.

The Change.org petition follows an appearance in Miami last week that sparked furor and is among the latest efforts by some Haitian activists who say Martelly should not be gracing public spaces when he faces so many allegations of wrongdoing.

“Martelly, under a cloud of unclear allegations, presents a potential risk to himself and festival-goers on the parkway,” said the group, which identified itself as Little Haiti and the Labor Day Haitian Task Force. “Moreover, his involvement might cause discord within our community, rather than fostering unity and peace during our celebration.”

The petition is dated Jul. 31 and has received 547 signatures as of Monday. Edwig “ET” Timmer, one of the organizers, told The Haitian Times his collaborators are seeking 5,000 signatures. It’s a fraction of the estimated 80,000 Haitians he expects to attend, but enough to take to the West Indian American Carnival Association (WIADCA) to boot off Martelly. For Timmer, WIADCA then will see Martelly is not worth risking violence during the annual celebration, which draws an estimated two million revelers annually.

“Martelly is going to be a liability on the Parkway,” Timmer said, adding that a presidential candidate is hiding behind his artist persona.

“Martelly is going to be a liability on the Parkway,” Timmer said

“What he’s doing is testing the ground,” Timmer added. “If New York City cracks or New Jersey cracks, it’s a free ticket for him to do whatever he wants to do [in Haiti]. Then he can say, ‘I’m going to run again.’ It’s a hazard.”

Mounting allegations and boycotts

The former Haitian president is currently facing international sanctions over alleged gang ties and was questioned in the assassination case of his successor, Jovenel Moïse, earlier this year. Martelly is also accused of corruption in an ongoing New York case involving misuse of a $1.50 money transfer fee and suspected in the alleged theft of PetroCaribe fuel subsidies meant to rebuild Haiti.

After being away from the musical spotlight, Martelly began attempting to perform in public again in 2021 with events in Miami, where he lives. Activists there and in other locales have since boycotted him, demanding that he be designated persona non-grata.

Just last week, Miami Mayor Daniella Levine Cava released a statement saying the city did not condone nor organize a private event where Martelly performed, according to published reports. On Jan. 1, Martelly performed unannounced during a Haitian Independence Day celebration that drew criticism afterward.

Risk mars vision of Haitian presence planned

Timmer said his group, Creole Jam, and other collaborators – Little Haiti BK’s Gérard Cadet and restaurant owner Jensen Desrosiers –  are partnering with WIADCA “as the middleman for the Haitian community.” Their goal is to ensure Haitian participants appear in costume and represent Haiti’s culture well with more pageantry. To coordinate a uniform look, the group is working with artists registered to perform so far – Tony Mixx, Roody Roodboy, Ekip, Barikad Crew and some rara bands.

He is working with community members and politicians to raise about $15,000 needed for the floats and costumes. The group found out about Martelly’s potential appearance after hearing rumors that he would perform on the Parkway. He said Martelly’s team had signed up to participate under two different names, “Micky Band” and “G5 for Life.”

Timmer said his collaborators warned WIADCA that a mix of protests and typical carnival revelry has the potential to turn into real violence if Martelly is present. They also alerted HALEFO, the Haitian group of NYPD officers who often assist at Haitian and Caribbean events.

The State Department should also be involved to provide security and protection at the public event since Martelly is a former head of state, Timmer added. Private shows are fine, he said, if people choose to go see Martelly perform. But for safety, he should be kept out of free, public events.

“We’ve worked so hard just to get those costumes, and he’s going to throw a monkey wrench in there,” Timmer said.

WIADCA has not returned a call as of this writing. A representative for Martelly, whom Timmer said registered under different names to be on the Parkway, was not immediately available.

An earlier version of this article was first published on the website of The Haitian Times.