CUBANS PROTEST DEMONSTRATION AGAINST MISSION

UNCLAS USUN NEW YORK 000013 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR IO/UNP AND DS/DSS/DO E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: OFDP CU UN SUBJECT: CUBANS PROTEST DEMONSTRATION AGAINST MISSION ¶1. USUN has received a diplomatic note (No. NV-6237 of 12/19/07) from the Cuban Mission protesting a demonstration that occurred on December 10 directly across the street from that Mission. The note, text of which appears in paragraph 3 below, notes that the demonstration took place in an unauthorized area after NYPD fixed post protection was removed on November 30, 2007. ¶2. USUN has also received a NYPD report that a Hispanic male, later identified as Ivan Dambreville, a Cuban migr, threw a rock through one of the Mission's windows on December ¶26. Dambreville, who remained in front of the Cuban Mission after the incident, was arrested by the NYPD and charged with felony criminal mischief. A copy of the police report is being faxed to IO/UNP- Edmondson. USUN has not/not yet received a protest from the Cuban Mission on the December 26 incident. ¶3. BEGIN TEXT OF CUBAN NOTE of 12/10: Complimentary salutation....and has the honor to inform that on last 10 December 2007, a demonstration against Cuba of about 22 people took place in front of the Cuban Mission to the United Nations. The Permanent Mission of Cuba to the United Nations noticed that, among the demonstrators, there were persons wearing military uniforms bearing the banner of the US-based terrorist organization Alpha 66, which has a long record of criminal actions against Cuba, an event that sets a serious precedent of hostile actions against our Mission. The Permanent Mission of Cuba to the United Nations reiterates the responsibility and commitment that the relevant US authorities have toward the protection of Diplomatic Missions and requests the United States Mission to take the necessary steps to prevent actions such as the above mentioned from repeating and so that these measures contribute to the good development of this Diplomatic Mission's functions, especially after police protection of our Mission was unilaterally removed. The Permanent Mission of Cuba to the United Nations would like to inform that the aforementioned manifestation was set on the west side of Lexington Avenue, stretching from the corner of 38th street up to the front of the Missions entrance, using loudspeakers, producing excessive noise which disturbed the Mission's orderly work, all of which is a violation of procedures established on Note No. HC-33-95 of 9 June 1995, from the United States Permanent Mission to the United Nations, to eliminate potential clashes and conditions considered as interference with the performance of the Mission's functions. After telephoning the Diplomatic Security Service of the Department of State and the New York Police Department to inform about this action, the relevant authorities failed to take the corresponding measures to move the demonstration to the place established in the aforementioned Note, according to which such demonstrations shall be carried out "... on the south-east corner and the intersections of E39th street and Lexington Avenue. The authorized area may extend to the south along the west side of Lexington Avenue until the north limit of the Permanent Mission in such a way that demonstrators stay on the opposite sidewalk to the Cuban Mission but not in front of it..." The Permanent Mission of Cuba to the United Nations would like to reiterate the United States authorities, responsibility toward actions of this nature which attempt against the security and normal work of the Permanent Mission of Cuba to the United Nations. The Permanent Mission of Cuba to the United Nations avails itself of this opportunity to renew to the United States Permanent Mission to the United Nations the assurances of its highest consideration. END TEXT Wolcott