A large protest denouncing communism in Cuba took place Monday afternoon in front of the White House.
Hundreds of protesters gathered in Washington, D.C., to denounce the communist regime in Cuba and protest for civil liberties and freedom. (RELATED: Bernie Sanders Questioned About Past ‘Sympathy’ For Far-Left, Autocratic Regimes)
Demonstrators waved flags that read “anti-communism” and presented large banners that read “freedom” and “down with communism.”
HAPPENING NOW 🇨🇺
Large protest in front of The White House supporting the Cuban freedom movement and denouncing the Communist regime: pic.twitter.com/0mrfEQElwB— Richie🎥McG🍿 (@RichieMcGinniss) July 26, 2021
One speaker in Lafayette Square begged for President Joe Biden’s support.
“President Biden, please be with the Cubans,” the speaker said. “We need your leadership.”
“President Biden, please be with the Cubans. We need your leadership.”
Speaker in front of a large crowd at the free Cuba rally in Lafayette Square in front of The White House pic.twitter.com/5W8sn1MBCn
— Richie🎥McG🍿 (@RichieMcGinniss) July 26, 2021
CodePink, an advocacy group that supports ending the U.S. blockade on Cuba, clashed with the protesters who shouted profanities at them. Secret Service eventually guided the crowd out of Lafayette Square and the protesters ended up on H Street.
Better look at the size of the crowd
Everyone poured into H St as Secret Service guided the demonstrators out of Lafayette Square pic.twitter.com/vctbyTeinf
— Richie🎥McG🍿 (@RichieMcGinniss) July 26, 2021
Secret Service told Daily Caller video director Richie McGinniss that Lafayette Park was going to be temporarily closed. The crowd began to disperse Monday afternoon around 2:00.
Per Secret Service, Lafayette Square will be closed for a few hours.
Crowd is starting to disperse for now pic.twitter.com/ktD5cafuoC
— Richie🎥McG🍿 (@RichieMcGinniss) July 26, 2021
Protests in Cuba exploded in mid-July as thousands took to the streets to protest for civil rights. The authoritarian government launched counter-protests and sent out special forces to round up dissidents, and Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel issued an “order to fight,” causing protesters to worry that harsher crackdowns were coming.
Many on the left who are sympathetic to Cuba’s communist regime have tried to blame the unrest on the pandemic, including strained hospitals and a shortage of medical supplies. But calls for “freedom,” “liberty” and “down with communism” revealed a deeper reason for the protests.