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You may recall my previous post (as well as those of Prieto and Malkin) criticizing a pending soiree at the Cuban Interests Section in DC, billed as an opportunity for young professionals "to explore the culture, cuisine, and music of Cuba, one of the most fascinating and misunderstood nations of our time." Hearteningly, it appears that some dedicated folks actually did something about it:

Monday, June 20, 2005. Saturday night Cuban officials expelled a group of peaceful advocates from a gala at the Cuban Interests Section in Washington for distributing cards allusive to repression in Cuba. Party organizers had ignored numerous calls and e-mails objecting to Cuba's totalitarian regime and asking for the event to be canceled or the venue changed.
...
The human rights' advocates passed an inspection at the door as Cuban agents carelessly checked names of arriving guests against a long list of alleged opponents to the Castro regime. Once upstairs, the pretenders proceeded to taste the food and drink and engage in conversation with young professionals in attendance. Shortly into the evening, the small groups began handing out three different versions of glossy 4x6 cards with pictures and messages allusive to oppression in Cuba on both sides. One cited a Human Rights Watch report on the denial of basic rights to Cubans. Another card showed a lavish buffet at a tourist hotel on the island, banned to Cubans while they live under rationing on an average monthly wage of US$10. The side of one card highlighted Amnesty International prisoner of conscience Dr. Oscar Biscet. One card was dedicated to the thousands of victims of the Castro regime and cited 78 minors executed and assassinated.

Willing takers were also given small stickers reading "We support freedom in Cuba," which activists had put on their clothing. The human rights defenders were friendly to all partygoers and suspected agents alike and mindful of not interfering with their enjoyment.

Within a few minutes, the watching army of security agents and collaborators encircled the activists, mostly dispersed in small groups, taking their cards and demanding they leave. All left when approached without resisting, quickly escorted by Cuban agents to the front gate, where DC police were stationed.

They proceeded to join the street protest on the other side of the street. In one case, a woman left on her own was surrounded by several male agents and angrily told she had to leave as they grabbed her cards. When she refused to hand over the cards, two agents squeezed her strongly by both arms. As they pulled her down the stairs, she began crying out "Freedom for Cuba." On Sunday, she proudly showed off her bruises as her father's day gift to her dad, killed when she was a toddler at the Bay of Pigs after he had fought under Castro for democracy in Cuba.

Excellent - good points, peacefully-executed. Val has the comprehensive coverage.

Posted by Bill at June 21, 2005 03:23 PM | TrackBack (0)

Comments

Posted by: jd watson at June 21, 2005 09:56 PM

Posted by: rbj at June 22, 2005 10:58 AM