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United States: Targeted by Donald Trump, the Haitian community of Springfield has become the target of the extreme right
United States: Targeted by Donald Trump, the Haitian community of Springfield has become the target of the extreme right
(France 2)
In the United States, the city of Springfield in Ohio has been in the midst of turmoil since Donald Trump reported rumors about Haitian migrants eating dogs and cats. Since then, bomb threats directed at migrants have multiplied.
The 60,000 residents of Springfield, Ohio, have been living under daily stress since Donald Trump made comments targeting the Haitian community. Far-right groups have been seen marching, and the Ku Klux Klan has targeted them in its leaflets. Town halls, hospitals and schools are subject to bomb threats almost daily.
The Haitian community is described as well integrated. Local authorities have given interviews to contradict Donald Trump, including the governor, who is from the same party.
A year ago, a Haitian asylum-seeking driver hit a school bus and killed an 11-year-old child. A month ago, a woman was suspected of eating a cat. Her arrest, filmed a 3-hour drive from Springfield, was used to stigmatize the Haitian community. The rumor spread thanks to a far-right account with 3 million subscribers, before being picked up by JD Vance, Donald Trump’s running mate, who made the connection between these two news items. And this, despite the parents’ call to respect the memory of their child. On Tuesday, September 17, Ohio announced the arrival of police reinforcements intended to reassure the population.