10 Years Too Long! Free the Cuban 5 Now!
Report back from the latest picket in defence of the 5 Cuban Heroes in Vancouver

Regardless of the heavy rain, on Monday October 6 2008 over 30 people came out to participate in the last day of a successful International Period of Action to Free the 5 Cuban Heroes. The Period of Action began on September 12th, the day the 5 were arrested and marked 10 years of unjust imprisonment. The Period of Action closed October 6, marking the 32nd anniversary of the bombing of Cubana flight 455 masterminded by admitted anti-Cuba terrorist, Luis Posada Carriles.

Free the Cuban 5 Committee- Vancouver Coordinator Noah Fine introduced the picket condemning Posada's bombing of the Cubana plane and the murder of 73 innocent people on board. Noah also read a letter recently written by Gerardo Hernandez, one of the 5 anti terrorist Cuban heroes, written in commemoration of 10 years of their unjust and criminal imprisonment.

Protesters then took to a picket line in front of the U.S. consulate with loud chants of "10 Years Too Long! Free the Cuban 5 Now!" while the cameras of the international news agency PressTV filmed the action and interviewed participants.

The rally gathered to hear from US Civil Rights Movement veteran and organizer with the Free the Cuban 5 Committee, David Whittlesey. David talked about 50 years of US government policy of terrorism towards the Cuban people discussing the many ways the US has tried to hurt the people of Cuba.

Coordinator of the Capilano Students' Union Social Justice Committee, Sarah Alwell, spoke next on how the US government is trying to break up the families of the 5 by not allowing visitation rights to two of their wives. She also spoke of how the US government makes it difficult for the other family members to exercise their right to visit their loved ones.

Next, the well-established Latin American poet Dilia Ochoa read a beautiful poem she had recently written about the 5 Cuban Heroes and ended it with chanting and loud cries for justice for the 5.

Tamara Hansen, Canadian Network on Cuba (CNC) Co-Chair and the coordinator of the Vancouver Communities in Solidarity with Cuba (VCSC) spoke closing the picket line. She explained the situation in Cuba in the aftermath of 4 hurricanes which devastated the country. Tamara talked about the initiatives across Canada to raise money for Cuba's hurricane relief and many participants at the picket reached into their pocket to donate to the cause.

October 6th brought to a close this International Period of Action, however the fight in Vancouver and around the world to free the 5 Cuban Heroes will continue until they are all free!

FREE THE CUBAN 5 NOW!