Mob rule

You have to hand it to the Castro dictatorship: It has absolutely no shame.

At the same time it is sends out its goons to attack dissidents marching for human rights, it announces that it will sign two international human rights accords and allow the United Nations to monitor its human rights records — starting in 2009.

The (South Florida) Sun-Sentinel story cuts through the bullshit:

Government supporters roughed up a dozen peaceful demonstrators marking International Human Rights Day with a silent march Monday.

The melee broke out shortly after Cuba announced its intention to sign two U.N. pacts on political and civil rights, part of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque said at a news conference Monday morning that Cuba had agreed to sign the agreements in the coming months after years of what he called anti-Cuban manipulation of the U.N.'s human rights body by the United States.

"Cuba is not acting, nor will it ever act, under pressure," he said.

Moments after Perez Roque's news conference, anti-government demonstrators led by dissident Darsi Ferrer locked arms and embarked on a silent march around a Havana park, located near the U.N. offices.

As the demonstrators marched and a handful of other people joined them, government supporters shouted "traitors" and "Viva Fidel."

After circling the park, the marchers were quickly surrounded by dozens of government supporters and plainclothes security agents who pushed and shoved the protestors.

"Fidel! Fidel!" the government supporters shouted.

One demonstrator, an elderly man with a cane, was dragged away by security agents. The crowd pushed and shoved the other marchers for several blocks.

Another demonstrator, a young woman in her late teens or early 20s, was assaulted by a female government supporter who had to be pulled away by security agents. The demonstrators dispersed after about a half-hour as the angry crowd became more hostile.

Police have picked up dozens of dissidents in recent days for temporary detention, according to the island's main rights group, the Cuban Commission for Human Rights and National Reconciliation.

It was unclear how many of Monday's demonstrators were detained.

The man in the denim jacket in the photo above, is Dr. Darsi Ferrer. Readers of this blog and others, first met the couple standing behind them, including the woman in fear for her life, here.

Here Dr. Ferrer's description of what happened, here.

For more on today's protests, check out the roundup of stories compiled by my colleague Ruth, at Babalú.

The Real Cuba has more photos.