Today, activists participating in the Encampment to Stop War at Home and Abroad went to the Justice Department in an attempt to present a letter of lesbian/gay/bi/trans solidarity for the Cuban 5, U.S. political prisoners who are being imprisoned because they tried to prevent terrorism being committed by right-wing organizations in Miami.
Imani Henry of Rainbow Solidarity for
the Cuban Five, initiators of today's event. photo by Mavis Yorks/Common Ground Relief A press conference was held where participants spoke on different aspects of not only the Five, but implications of case. Teresa Gutierrez of the New York Committee to Free the Cuban Five opened the conference with an introduction of the case. Ivy Parker, a Hurricane Katrina survivor from New Orleans and a member of the NY Katrina/Rita Solidarity Committee, equated the terrorism of the United States with the government's response to Katrina and its hypocrisy in the treatment of the Five. 
Mia Campbell of the youth group FIST--Fight Imperialism, Stand Together. photo by Mavis Yorks/Common Ground Relief
Ignacio Meneses of the National Network on Cuba discussed how the international community is supporting the Five and is paying attention to what the Justice Department is doing. He mentioned conferences on the Five occurring in Ecuador and Canada. Brenda Stokely of the Million Workers March Movement spoke about the importance of people in the United States supporting the case of the five. Berta Joubert-Ceci of the Women's Fightback Network spoke on the hypocrisy of the denial of visas of Adriana Pérez, the wife of Gerardo Hernández, and Olga Salanueva, the wife of René González, with all the U.S. government rhetoric on family values and democracy. 
After the press conference the activists went to the doors of the Justice Department, where they were refused entry. The representative who was finally sent down to meet with them wouldn't even give them his last name.
Photos©MavisYorks/CommonGroundRelief
Labels: antiwar, cuba, cuban 5, Encampment to Stop the War |
