Cuba bans bid for 11/5 protest, blames the US

Barrons/AFP

Cuba's government on Tuesday rejected a request from the opposition to stage a protest on November 15, claiming the organizers are backed by the United States and want to overthrow the regime.

The proposed demonstrations would follow unprecedented anti-government protests that erupted on July 11 in around 50 Cuban cities.

"The promoters and their public representatives, some of whom have links with subversive organizations or agencies financed by the American government, have the clear intention of promoting a change in Cuba's political system," said the government in a statement on the official Cubadebate website.

Organizers wanted to stage protests in six of the island's 15 provinces in a call against violence and for change.

But the communist government said the reasons were illegitimate and constituted a "provocation," adding that the new constitution adopted in 2019 states that the current socialist system is "irrevocable."

The protest request published on social media pointed to Article 56 of the new constitution that protects the right to meet, protest and to associate for lawful and peaceful purposes.

"Even though that is a constitutional right, it cannot be exercised in detriment to other rights," said the government in response.

Film director Yunior Garcia, who organized the planned Havana protest, hit out at the government's reasons for refusing the requests.

"Whatever the Cuban does, they always say the idea came from Washington. It's as if we don't think, as if us Cubans don't have any brains," he said.

"Of course every sane Cuban wants change for the better, they want democracy in Cuba, more progress, more freedom."

In Washington, State Department spokesman Ned Price said that the July outpouring on the streets "was not about the United States."

"The prohibition on peaceful protest that we've seen, all of this reminds us that it is a Cuban people who are paying dearly in their fight for freedom, their fight for dignity," State Department spokesman Ned Price told reporters.

"We call for the government in Havana to respect the fundamental freedoms and the fundamental rights of the Cuban people."

The opposition protest was originally slated for November 20, but it was changed after the government last week declared that "National Defense Day" and said it would be preceded by two days of military exercises.

"We could not be irresponsible, we didn't want any violence, we didn't want Cubans fighting each other and we couldn't send protesters into a street battle against the army that could respond with violence," Garcia said.

The government crackdown over the July protests left one dead, dozens injured and more than 1,000 people detained, several hundred of whom remain behind bars.

Because of course. They're taking notes from their top allies in China, aren't they (see: Hong Kong)?

All oppressors have an excuse to limit free speech, you know. And according to those limiting it, it's always in the best interests of the people for them to do so.

@eoten: Sounds like your boy Trump.

They should protest anyway. They can either die of poor treatment or fighting for a better country.

Cuba's constitution allows assembly... But only when Government says it's okay, and only when state media are in agreement. (Since private media/press are outlawed)

Freedom House quote; "Decree Law 370, enacted in 2019, bans Cuban citizens from hosting their writings on foreign servers—including social media platforms like Facebook—and prohibits the circulation of “information contrary to the social interest, morals, good customs, and integrity of people.” Authorities increased their use of the law against independent journalists during 2020, subjecting dozens of individuals to arbitrary arrests, fines, or confiscation of their devices. The crackdown frequently included threats against the journalists’ families as well as pressure to delete and discontinue their critical coverage of the government."

Yikes.

Trump always living rent free in so many minds.

Isn't that what people have been cheering on here in the US? Mass riots are allowed, a part of free speech but a political rally is a "super spreader event" that should be shut down? They have their excuses to try to justify their double standard but at the end of the day they are supporting a system where free speech is only allowed when it's pre-approved.

@eoten: None of that is accurate. Stop lying.

@Stevo_the_gamer: You only say that because you know im right. Now about my ontopic comment?

Don't sweat it, he lives rent free in many minds.

@thenation: Why were the 2020 GF riots applauded while anti-mask protests shut down? Why is there different consequences for similar actions depending on political leaning?

You'll deny the above because you're brainwashed but we all see it and the justice system is completely corrupted.

One calls out police brutality in America (which the other side overlooks because it's fine because "we're not Cuba or China", meanwhile Cuba and China enjoy watching that chaos in the States) the other is a threat because of a pandemic STILL going on.

Actually, nobody has used that argument. However, when you start calling it police brutality whenever someone gets themselves shot, especially cases that are clearly the fault of the suspect, people tend to ignore your argument. In the aftermath of a summer long of wolf crying, murder rates have skyrocketed in those cities. Innocent people have died as a result. Yet, many of you seem to actually believe police only patrol those neighborhoods looking for black people to assault while those are the ones being murdered by the higher crime rates today.

Secondly, you completely missed the point of the double standard. The GF protests were allowed to continue by the people running those cities, citing that riots, you know, the kind that resulted in billions of dollars of property damage and over 40 deaths, was "free speech" so we had to let it continue. And those absolutely were "super spreader" events. It was a double standard used which resulted in a massive spread of Covid, and you applaud it.

Billions of dollars of property damage and 40 deaths isn't "calling out police brutality in America." It's a riot instigated and organized by known, and self admitted Marxists. Guaranteed if people in Cuba are actually protesting the Communist regime, and they met you IRL, they would NOT be your friends because all the bullshit I hear you preach is the same bullshit they heard decades ago before their country went down the shitter.

What do you make of THIS then? And this?

I'm not a Marxist. I do not want a dictatorship in America. Left (communist regimes) or right (fascist regimes). Otherwise, I wouldn't call out Cuba and China ALONGSIDE America

Of course you do. Do you really think the people who supported the communist regime in Cuba, or China, or Russia knew what they were getting into? Do you think they were that much different than you are right now? They were misled, divided by politics and state ran propaganda. The riots that existed in those countries due to the division created by those wanting power were no different than the ones going on in the US now.

It is exactly why you call out Cuba and China alongside the US, when the US is nothing like either of them outside of your perception based on dishonest fear mongering that police roam around black neighborhoods looking for innocent people to harass. It is exactly why countless statues have recently been pulled down as well, just like they were in Cuba, Russia, and China before their dictators took over. The reality is, you, just like those people had no idea what they were getting into, and actually believed they were supporting something benevolent, and you seem to believe that if you don't then you're supporting fascism. Those people too were told the same things.

Well, I don't like hearing it ,but you can't really blame Cuba for thinking this. The US has a long history of meddling in the affairs of various countries, especially in Central and South America, and doubly so in Cuba.

I mean, it would certainly not be unprecedented or unheard of to have Americans backing protests, instigating political change, etc..

On the flip side, the Cuban government has a history of oppression and manipulation, so I wouldn't put it past them either to falsely claim something like this.

Hmmmmm....it's almost like it would be better for everyone if we just stayed out of each other's business. Imagine that!

America may be "better", but that's not saying much when we're losing our democratic rights slowly, but OH GOD surely. The GOP have been more threats to our democracy as much as the CCP has been to Hong Kong and Taiwan, or how the Cuban Communists are to their own people.

I do not want America to end up like them. Bad enough righties are such hypocrites when calling out the likes of China or Cuba, yet seem to have no problems when America does it with THEIR preferred leaders (but will call it out if it's not).

Right, we're losing our "democratic rights" because of the "other" political party we should elect clear cut Marxists to oppose. Yeah, people in Cuba thought like that decades ago too. In every Marxist takeover, there's the haves and have nots, where the haves are portrayed as being responsible for all the problems of the have nots, and that only giving government power to violate everybody's rights could there be a level of social equality.

Again, you think you're different from those people, but you're exactly the same, for exactly the same reasons. I really suggest you educate yourself better, not just on American politics, but world history. People like you are why Cuba is the way it is today. People unwilling to educate themselves on such matters. America will end up exactly like them if you do not. You will ensure it does.

Let's cross our fingers that one day liberty takes hold of that country, and anti-masking anti-vaxxing Karens can scream in open forums about how they don't want the government microchipping their kids with 5G technology.

We've seen the top of that mountain, and it is good.