GOC MOUNTS "PROTEST" IN FRONT OF THE INTERESTS

UNCLAS HAVANA 000277 SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PGOV ASEC CU SUBJECT: GOC MOUNTS "PROTEST" IN FRONT OF THE INTERESTS SECTION REF: A. HAVANA RSO SPOT REPORT TO DS DATED MAY 12 ¶B. 2009 ¶1. (U) As part of the "II International Youth Encounter for Solidarity with the Five Heroes," at 0800 on May 12, several hundred people appeared in front of the Interests Section in the so-called anti-imperialist amphitheater to protest a variety of alleged crimes committed by the USG. The participants and a "Youth Tribunal" listened to "testimony" from the children of two of the 5 Cuban agents held in prison in the U.S., the grandchild of the co-pilot of the Cubana de Aviacion plane brought down by a bomb in 1976, and Mexican and Peruvian students from the Latin American Medical school (ELAM). The "Tribunal" then found the U.S. to be guilty on all counts. Among the "crimes" cited were the Cuban Adjustment Act, which allegedly protects anti-Cuban "terrorists" against whom the 5 Cuban agents were working, the CIA's alleged introduction of hemorrhagic dengue fever to Cuba, and U.S. support for Israel. Participants then staged a brief march before dispersing. The entire area was clear by about 9:30 a.m. ¶2. (U) While the "Tribunal" was in session, Cuban school children, most in their school uniforms and presumably selected for the event, wrote slogans condemning the U.S. and alleged "terrorist" Luis Posada Carriles and painted swastikas and snakes on the Malecon in front of the Section, which had been closed for the event. ¶3. (SBU) COMMENTS: The "protest" was very orderly and there was no threat to USINT or its personnel. It has been more than a year since the last such protest show, but it is not clear that this event indicates any change in GOC thinking. The issues discussed by the "protesters" are the same ones normally used by the GOC in its litany of complaints against the USG. It may be noteworthy that the event took place just after the GOC completed work on removing the supports for the billboards that once surrounded the Section. There had been no billboards since the last set was destroyed by high winds during the multiple hurricanes in September 2008. Some of the Cuban security guards told Section officers that the rusted supports would be replaced and new billboards installed soon. We shall see. Also of note, one observer commented that the protest spoke volumes about Cuba's vaunted educational system. There were several errors of spelling and grammar in the slogans painted in the street. WILLIAMS