Foreign Affairs Minister Pierre Pettigrew downplayed demands for a Canadian withdrawal from Haiti on Monday, labelling protesters outside his office as "a marginal group of Haitian Montrealers."

Saying the protesters were "fixated on the past and nostalgia," Pettigrew dashed any hopes of a Canadian pullout, expressing his belief that Canada is helping bring stability to the strife-torn Caribbean nation.

The group is among a growing movement in Canada demanding the return of Canadian police officers working to revamp the Haitian National Police. Their voices have become even louder since the December shooting death of retired RCMP officer Mark Bourque, part of the mission in Haiti.

Activists have accused members of the UN stability mission of contributing to the chaos by helping a corrupt Haitian police force support the Haitian elite while targeting the poor majority, many of whom oppose the interim government.

While those in power in Haiti and their North American supporters say President Jean-Bertrand Aristide left the country voluntarily in Feb. 2004, others -- including Caricom, the alliance of Caribbean nations, and the African Union -- say he was ousted by the United States and have called for an inquiry.

The 40 protesters outside Pettigrew's Montreal office echoed these statements, showing a documentary on a television set in the trunk of a car accusing the UN of direct contribution to popular repression. They chanted, waved flags, banged on a cymbal and called Pettigrew an "assassin," demanding a boycott of the Liberals in the upcoming election.

If such a boycott were to catch on with the larger public, an obvious benefactor would be Bloc Quebecois candidate Vivian Barbot. A Montrealer of Haitian origin, Barbot is running against Pettigrew in the Papineau riding.

While Barbot could not be immediately reached Tuesday when contacted about her views on Canada's role, the Bloc has sided with the Liberals on the issue and recently criticized the NDP for using the word "removal" to describe Aristide's exit from Haiti.

In a Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade meeting, Bloc MP Pierre Paquette insisted Alexa McDonough use the word "departure" instead.

However, on Tuesday Bloc Press Secretary Eric Cote told CTV.ca that the Bloc has one very simple position on Haiti:

"We only wish for a transparent and fair election there, with a secure process and transport of power."