“10 years too long!” rang through the streets of Vancouver on September 12, 2008, the tenth anniversary of the unjust jailing of the Cuban Five Heroes. Throughout the world supporters of the Cuban Five organized over 40 actions in defence of the Five and demanded their immediate release from US prisons. The Free the Cuban Five Committee-Vancouver and Vancouver Communities in Solidarity with Cuba co-organized the picket which saw over 25 people picket the US Consulate.

Noah Fine, the coordinator of the Free the Cuban Five Committee-Vancouver, MC’d the picket. After Noah welcomed people to this action the first round of picketing began with people chanting for justice for the Five. The picketing was followed by the reading of a recent letter from Fernando Gonzalez, one of the Five. Fernando wrote to VCSC organizer Stan Squires thanking him for his support for all the Cuban Five.

The emotion felt from Fernando’s encouraging words energized the crowd who went into a second round of picketing. As people gathered together again, Noah introduced via telephone from Washington, DC, Alison Bodine. She spoke about the actions in Washington that saw the US government arrest five Cuban 5 supporters for trying to deliver over 100,000 petitions in support of the Cuban Five to George Bush.

After Alison spoke, Charles Boylan, a member of the Communist Party of Canada (Marxist-Leninist) spoke about the hypocrisy of the US government regarding the Cuban Five. Next to speak was Nita Palmer, a leader in the Cuba Solidarity work, who outlined the recent developments of the families of the Cuban Five. Nita condemned the US government’s immoral barring of the wives of two of the Cuban Five from entering the United States to see their husbands. The picket came to a close with Noah announcing a poetry night entirely dedicated to the Five that same evening, September 12.

FREE THE CUBAN FIVE NOW! JUSTICE FOR THE FIVE NOW!