AFP September 25, 2011, 12:42 pm
HAVANA (AFP) - Some 300 activists backing Cuba's Communist government
shouted down 35 relatives of political prisoners, some of whom were
roughed up, an AFP journalist witnessed.
The pro-government crowd or university students and members of the Union
of Communist Youth, massed to demonstrate outside the Havana home of
Laura Pollan.
She is leader of the Ladies in White group, an award-winning group of
political prisoners' kin that won the European Parliament's Sakharov
prize back in 2005.
The Ladies in White, who organized a prayer meeting, were subjected to
more than three hours of shouting and insults, including "Cuba, yes,
Yankees, no," and "You witches won't pass by here."
When the women tried to leave the home, they were unable to open the
door and Pollan and some other women were struck as they tried to exit.
An Interior Ministry bus then showed up to clear the area.
"These are the same people as ever," Pollan told reporters. "They are
not the 'enraged Cuban people' (as the government calls the pro-regime
activists) -- they are not spontaneous, they are brought here," she
stressed.
Cuban dissidents say the Americas' only Communist regime has stepped up
repressive activities in recent weeks. An estimated 50 political
prisoners remain behind bars in this Caribbean country of 11 million.
http://au.news.yahoo.com/world/a/-/world/10335689/pro-regime-mob-targets-rights-activists-in-cuba/
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