Delegation delivers petitions to free Cuban 5

A delegation of representatives from many progressive communities in the United States held a press conference outside the Department of Justice here on Sept. 28 and then delivered a letter and a petition to Acting U.S. Attorney General Peter Keisler demanding the release of the Cuban 5, who have been held in U.S. prisons for almost 10 years.

Many groups sent representatives to press conference at Justice Department. WW photo: Deirdre Griswold

The petition was signed by more than 1,000 organizations and individuals.

The delegation of several dozen people tried to present the documents personally to Keisler. They were stopped by a phalanx of guards at the door, even though Teresa Gutierrez of the New York Free the Five Committee and organizer of the press conference had made numerous attempts beforehand to set up a meeting.

Finally, a representative of the department who would identify himself only as “Dean” accepted the petition and a packet of information about the case of the Five, saying it would be passed on to the relevant DOJ officials.

In a press conference outside the building, representatives of anti-war, labor, women’s, lesbian, gay, bi and trans, survivors of Hurricanes Rita/Katrina, and Cuba solidarity groups spoke out about why freedom for the Cuban 5 was an important demand being taken up by their communities.

The petition had been initiated by Rainbow Solidarity for the Cuban 5, and the speakers themselves came from a broad range of diverse organizations. Many were in D.C. for a week-long Encampment outside the U.S. Capitol, leading up to an anti-war march on Sept. 29 with the theme of “Stop the war in Iraq and the war at home—fund people’s needs, not the Pentagon.”

A Latin American contingent at the march included signs supporting the Five.

Speakers at the press conference included Berta Joubert-Ceci of the Women’s Fightback Network; Brenda Stokely of the Million Worker March Movement; Ivey Parker of the New York Solidarity Coalition with Katrina/Rita Survivors; Ignacio Meneses of the National Network on Cuba and the U.S./Cuba Labor Exchange; Imani Henry of Rainbow Solidarity for the Cuban Five; Mia Campbell of FIST (Fight Imperialism—Stand Together); and Sara Flounders of the Troops Out Now Coalition, sponsor of the related anti-war activities.

Speakers stressed that the U.S. government hypocritically calls the Cuban 5 “terrorists,” when in fact they were in the U.S. trying to prevent terrorist attacks on their country. Their case is now on appeal.

Several represented organizations of poor people struggling in the U.S. for justice, such as Katrina/Rita survivors, who are inspired by Cuba’s record of providing medical workers and teachers free to many countries in need.

More information about the Cuban 5 can be found at www.freethefiveny.org.