Click here to see a video of the press conference in front of the billboard at Blip.tv Flash
On Feb. 1, nearly two dozen solidarity activists gathered on famous Hollywood Boulevard in downtown Los Angeles, Calif., to unveil the only non-electoral political billboard currently standing in a city filled with billboards advertising movies, cars and other products. The billboard proudly proclaims, “Free the Cuban Five Unjustly Held in U.S. Prisons,” to the traffic passing by, coming and going from the busy Hollywood Freeway.
Jim Lafferty, executive director of the
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Blase Bonpane, executive director of the Office of the Americas, spoke next, noting the particular signficance of the Hollywood location of the billboard. “We’re extremely happy to see this wonderful billboard here in the heart of Hollywood because Cuba has been victimized by terror for over 50 years, and some of the organizations involved over the past years have even struck here in Hollywood. We have groups named Alpha-66, Omega-7, and other groups of that type, that have been given free reign here in Hollywood. We had a gathering place known as the Haymarket. These people came in and burned it to the ground, practically killing those who were inside.” Bonpane also addressed the crowd in Spanish at the end of the program.
The ANSWER Coalition (Act Now to Stop War and End Racism) has been intensively involved with the effort to extradite Luis Posada Carriles to Venezuela, as well as in the effort to free the Cuban Five, featuring speakers about the Five at all of its large antiwar demonstrations they have organized. Cela Esguerra, student organizer with ANSWER, told the crowd, “The Los Angeles chapter of the ANSWER Coalition stands today with other community activists to inaugurate this billboard for the Cuban Five. This billboard is a dramatic display that will bring to light to tens of thousands of Angelenos not only a grave case of injustice, but the campaign to free them.”
Gloria La Riva, coordinator of the National Committee to Free the Cuban Five which originated the billboard campaign,
talked about the reason for the campaign. “If there was national coverage as there should be of this case, about a case involving United States support for terrrorism against Cuba and the United States’ unjust imprisonment of the men who were fighting terrorism, we wouldn’t have to place a billboard in the streets of Los Angeles. But we will do whatever we have to do to help free our men. We will do whatever we have to do involving collecting the thousands of dollars that it takes. This billboard was possible because we got donations from everywhere, from around the world and across the United States. So we’ll move on to the next city after Los Angeles. In the meantime, the people of Los Angeles, the progressive movement, should be proud that it started here.”
Arturo Garcia of the Alliance for Just and Lasting Peace in the Philippines was the final speaker. “As a representative of the Filipino American community in Los Angeles,” he said, “I am proud to have this billboard that breaks the monopoly of the capitalists and imperialists. Cuba and the Philippines share the same fate. As it was on Dec. 10, 1898, the Philippines, Cuba, and Puerto Rico were sold down the river by the American imperialists to the tune of 10 million dollars. We want the Cuban Five freed!”
The Committee received a moving message from Cuba from Roberto González, the brother of René González and an attorney on the legal team of the Cuban Five.
Although we knew that it was coming, I couldn’t help but feel emotion on seeing the billboard with the image of the Five on the boulevard, on television. When we spoke of that project a few years ago, it seem like an unrealizable dream. It has only been possible for us to carry out this battle since the first days by counting on dreamers like yourselves.
I don’t know on behalf of how many people I can give you all thanks for the work you do, but I assure you that at least on this island yesterday, you made the lives of millions of people happier and you made us feel that the return of our brothers is that much closer.
Many thanks to all of you.
A strong embrace, Roberto
The National Committee to Free the Cuban Five, which organized the billboard campaign with important financial assistance from supporters of the Cuban Five around the United States and around the world, is still collecting funds to continue and expand the campaign, extending the presence in Los Angeles past one month and bringing the message of “Free the Cuban Five” to other cities. Donations are very much needed and welcomed. Click the button below to donate, and please be as generous as possible.
Listen to the entire press conference / Escuche a la rueda de prensa entera
Escuche al discurso de Blase Bonpane en español
Watch a short video of the event: YouTube QuickTime
