Cuba Solidarity Rally in the Mission District

On Tuesday, May 20 at 5:00 p.m. around 150 people gathered for a rally at 24th Street and Mission Street in solidarity with Cuba. The ANSWER coalition called the rally to coincide with a speech by President Bush on Cuba. Spokesperson Alicia Jrapko said,“We wanted to support Cuban self-determination and sovereignty. We are against US aggression against Cuba, and we want to lift the blockade.”

She also mentioned the famous case of five Cubans who received long prison sentences in the U.S. for trying to deter anti-Castro terrorists in Florida. She hopes that a grassroots movement will lead to their release.

It was thought that Bush’s speech could signal a new level of aggression by the U.S. against Cuba. The speech was low key, however, and as a result so was the rally.