[Marxism] Meeting To Organize Defense Of Latino Activists Assaulted in Miami

["Jack Lieberman" <Jollyjack@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Dear Friends,
Please come to a meeting on Sunday to discuss defending the democratic
rights of progressive activists here in South Florida. As the Herald
article below shows, there have been several dangerous assaults on
progressive Latino activists in Miami that threaten to turn back the clock
to the days when it was very dangerous to oppose US policy in Latin
America here in Miami.

The article below is from the local section of today's Miami Herald. The
headline "Scuffle ensues at Posada rally" is very misleading. What
occurred was not a scuffle but an attack by a group of 100
Posada supporters against a group of 4 counter demonstrators from the
Bolivarian Youth who were exercising their right to free speech by
denouncing Posada as a terrorist.

This is not the first such attack that has occurred recently. In December
A similar violent assault occurred against a group of pro- Chavez
supporters who were demonstrating at the Orange Bowl on Venezuelan
Election Day in support of their candidate.

What is particularly disturbing is that no police were allegedly present
when this attack occurred. This was despite the fact that the planned
counter protest was publicized on several anti-war e-mail user groups that
are surely monitored by law enforcement authorities. None of the attackers
were arrested during the December attack either.

Thus in both cases the demonstrations in opposition to the Bush
administrations policies regarding Cuba and Venezuela were violently
broken up by pro government mobs with no police action against the
attackers and little coverage by the English language press.

If this happened in Havana or Caracas the Herald would be denouncing the
"tyrannical dictators" but here they are worse than silent, they are
actually providing cover for these assaults by deliberately distorting the
facts.

The peace and justice movement must not allow these attacks to go
unanswered. Please come to the South Florida Peace & Justice Network
meeting tomorrow. Please call me at 305-582-4846 if you need directions.

Best Regards,
Jack Lieberman

Scuffle ensues at Posada rally

About 100 people at a rally in Little Havana to support Cuban exile Luis
Posada Carriles clashed with a group of counterdemonstrators.
BY ERIKA BERAS
eberas@MiamiHerald. <mailto:eberas%40MiamiHerald.com> com
Demonstrators clashed briefly at a rally Friday in support of Luis Posada
Carriles, the Cuban exile militant facing federal prosecution in Texas and
possible deportation if the United States can find a country willing to
take him.

About 100 people gathered just before noon at the Bay of Pigs memorial at
Southwest Eighth Street and 13th Avenue. They held signs and encouraged
motorists to honk their horns in support of Posada, 78, who is being
detained in El Paso, Texas.

Around 12:30 p.m., a handful of college-aged counter-demonstrators
appeared across the street, denouncing Posada as a terrorist.

Miguel Saavedra, president of Vigilia Mambisa, an anti-Castro group and
one of the organizers of the rally, yelled, ''Communists!'' The two sides
briefly clashed, and a Posada critic was hit in the head.

Otherwise, the pro-Posada gathering was mostly peaceful.

Saavedra, who spent most of his time yelling into a megaphone, called the
U.S. prosecution of Posada on charges of lying about how he sneaked into
the country ``ridiculous.''

''He has brought a lot of justice to many people,'' he said.

Non-Cuban demonstrators turned out as well. Fernando Balanda, a Chilean
who has lived in the United States for 30 years, said he felt compelled to
show support for his ``Cuban brothers.''

Posada, a former CIA operative with ties to the failed 1961 Bay of Pigs
invasion, is suspected of plotting the bombing of a Cuban jetliner three
decades ago. He was indicted last week in El Paso on charges of lying
under oath when applying for naturalization in September 2005 and last
April.

 

 

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