Its fear of a bunch of women carrying flowers rising, the Castro dictatorship has warned the Damas De Blanco, or "Ladies In White," that they will not be able to make their customary marches through Havana unless they receive government permission 72 hours in advance and limit the size and length of the procession.
The Ladies' response? Go ahead and try to stop us.
"This is not going to stop us. We have no fear, we have done nothing wrong," said Berta Soler, one of the leaders of the group, made up of the wives, mothers and other relatives of political prisoners.
On each Sunday for several years now, the Ladies, carrying nothing but flowers, have attended Mass together and then peacefully marched on one of Havana's main avenues, demanding the release from prison of their loved ones. In recent weeks, police and goons taking their orders from the authorities, have physically and verbally assaulted the women, trying to scare them off the streets.
But these Ladies do not scare easily.
"Nothing is going to stop us," Soler said. "They can kill us, they can take us to prison, but regardless we will continue this peaceful struggle."
Against such bravery, the dictatorship does not stand a chance.
But the Ladies In White still need our help, they need our protection.
As they prepare to again march this Sunday, stand up and shout for them, and let the dictatorship, its thugs and world know that they will never be forgotten.
|———|
This is my tribute to the Ladies In White, produced last month after police and others assaulted them as they tried to peacefully march in Havana.
Recent Comments