Videos that circulated on social media on Sunday showed pro-freedom Cuban protesters taking to the streets crying out for freedom from the oppressive communist dictatorship on the island.
The videos, which were promoted by pro-freedom politicians and media figures in the U.S., allegedly showed protesters storming a local communist party office, flipping communist police vehicles, and getting rowdy outside the Communist Party’s headquarters in Havana.
WATCH:
Locals take control of local Communist Party office
This kind of courage & bravery needs to be shared with the whole world#SOSCuba #PatriaYVida
pic.twitter.com/IvKz3gxt9N— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) July 12, 2021
🚨#SOSCuba🚨
Pro-democracy protests gather in front of the Communist Party’s headquarters in Havana chanting “Cuba is not yours! Cuba is not yours!”#PatriaYVida
pic.twitter.com/ISZNRoB7jA— Giancarlo Sopo (@GiancarloSopo) July 12, 2021
Holy shit!
Pro-democracy protestors just flipped a National Revolutionary police car in Camagüey. I have never seen anything like this.#SOSCuba #PatriaYVida
pic.twitter.com/zmOtWBqcPD— Giancarlo Sopo (@GiancarloSopo) July 12, 2021
Cubans took to the street in rarely seen demonstrations to protest the impoverished conditions of the island, their lack of freedom under the far-left Marxist regime, and did so while chanting “Liberty” and “Freedom” and waving an American flag.
Despite this, Julie Chung, Acting Assistant Secretary for U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs, said that the protests were centered around the coronavirus pandemic.
“Peaceful protests are growing in #Cuba as the Cuban people exercise their right to peaceful assembly to express concern about rising COVID cases/deaths & medicine shortages,” Chung tweeted. “We commend the numerous efforts of the Cuban people mobilizing donations to help neighbors in need.”
The remarks from the Biden administration garnered intense backlash online from critics who noted that the protesters were protesting the communist government.
It wasn’t long before the communist government began cracking down on the protesters, which it sees as a threat to its very existence.
The Washington Post reported:
José Miguel Vivanco, director of Human Rights Watch’s Americas division, said his group had received reports that at least 20 people had been arrested. He added that the organization had received reports of violence being used by Cuban forces, a claim echoed by social media users sharing videos of wounded protesters.
“This is pretty massive,” Vivanco said. “My sense is that this is a combination of social unrest based on a lack of freedoms, and covid, and economic conditions. The lack of access to electricity. The blackouts. … People are screaming for freedom.”
“As demonstrators sought to broadcast the protest live with their cellphones through social media, Cuba’s authorities cut internet service on multiple occasions on Sunday,” The Wall Street Journal reported. “Kentik, a U.S.-based network monitoring company, reported countrywide internet outages.”
The New York Times reported that numerous videos that were posted online that showed the protests had “suddenly disappeared.” “The people are dying of hunger!” one woman shouted during a protest highlighted by The Times, “Our children are dying of hunger!” Other chants included “We want freedom” and “We want vaccines.”
Related:
- Massive Protests Erupt In Cuba As Citizens Demand End To Communist Dictatorship: ‘We Want Freedom!’
- DeSantis, Florida Republicans Lead Response To Freedom Protests Erupting In Cuba
- WATCH: Cubans Carry American Flag While Demanding Freedom From Communist Dictatorship
- Biden Admin Blasted For Claiming Cubans Are Protesting ‘COVID Cases,’ Other Issues: ‘So Disrespectful’
- Communist Cuba Begins Cracking Down On Freedom Protesters, Internet Service Cut In Areas