Momentum is building for concentrated activity in Washington DC, as a
growing list of endorsers who support changing relations with Cuba embrace
5 days for the Cuban 5, April 17 to 21. Last week
Dolores Huerta, co-founder of the United Farm Workers and
actor Danny Glover both agreed to participate in the largest
of the public events, "Obama Give me Five" on
Friday April 20th at 6:00 pm. The evening of exhibits,
speakers and poetry will take place at the Festival Center,
located at 1640 Columbia Road, NW, Washington.
The themes of the evening include ending the embargo/blockade, lifting the
travel ban, freeing the Cuban 5, removing Cuba from the list of nations that
promote terrorism and returning Guantanamo Bay to the Cubans.
Increased interest in Cuba, and specifically in the case of the Cuban 5, exists
following the Pope's visit to the island and as news spread that one of
these five men received a favorable court order for a 2 week visit to see his
seriously ill brother. Rene Gonzalez served out his 13 year sentence but
instead of being allowed to return to his family and homeland he must serve out
a three year supervised probation in the U.S.
On Saturday, April 21, hundreds of protesters will rally in
front of the White House at 1 pm to demand that President
Obama release the Cubans 5 now.
Tuesday, April 17
All day of lobbying on Capitol Hill
Wednesday, April 18
Lobby activities continue with distribution of information to elected
officials.
2pm-4:30 pm Discussion of the Flawed Trial of the Cuban Five as Described in
Stephen Kimber's Book, "What Lies Across the Water" at the
University of California Washington Center 1608 Rhode Island Ave. NW,
Washington, D.C. Host: Wayne S. Smith, Senior Fellow, Center for International
Policy, and Former Chief of the U.S. Interests Section in Havana. Presenter:
Stephen Kimber is an award-winning Canadian journalist and writer. The author
of one novel and seven books of nonfiction, he is Professor of Journalism at
the University of King’s College in Halifax, Canada, where he specializes
in nonfiction.
7pm: Screening of the documentary “Will the Real Terrorist Please
Stand Up," Nyumburu Cultural Center at University of Maryland, with the
participation of invited guest Miguel Barnet, President of the National
Association of Writers and Artists of Cuba (UNEAC)
Thursday April 19
Morning: setting up outreach tables in strategic points around Washington
D.C.
6:00 pm, 102 Park Ave, Takoma Park, MD . Community Event to launch a new
committee in Takoma Park in support of the Cuban 5. Local elected officials
will be invited. Distribution of information and showing of the new documentary
“Esencias” about the historic tour of La Colmenita in the U.S. in
October 2011. Local elected officials will be invited. Distribution of
information and showing of the new documentary “Esencias” about the
historic tour of La Colmenita in the U.S. in October 2011.
7pm: Screening of the documentary “Will the Real Terrorist Please
Stand Up,” Blackburn Center Auditorium, Howard University, 2400 Sixth
Street, NW featuring Professor Piero Gleijeses, author of Conflicting Mission:
Havana, Washington and Cuba 1959-1976.
Friday, April 20
“OBAMA GIVE ME FIVE”
Public Event, Festival Center, 1640 Columbia Road, NW. Beginning at 6 pm
with the traveling exhibit, Humor From My Pen, the political cartoons of
Gerardo Hernandez. Meeting begins at 7pm with topics including; 1) Lift the
blockade of Cuba 2) End the Travel Ban 3) Free the Cuban Five, 4) Remove Cuba
from the list of countries that sponsor terrorism and 5) Return Guantanamo to
Cuba.
Speakers:
Mavis Anderson: Senior Associate at Latin America Working Group (LAWG)
James Early: Director, Cultural Heritage Policy, Center for Folklife and
Cultural Heritage
Salim Lamrani: Lecturer at Paris Sorbonne Paris IV University and Paris-Est
Marne-la-Vallée University and French journalist, specialist on relations
between Cuba and the U.S.
Saul Landau: Professor, author, filmmaker. Emmy Award for his film produced
with filmmaker Haskell Wexler, Paul Jacobs and the Nuclear Gang (1980). His
most recent documentary “Will the Real Terrorist Please Stand
Up”
Wayne Smith: Senior Fellow, Center for International Policy and Former Chief of
the U.S. Interests Section in Havana.
Jose Pertierra: Immigration Attorney. He represents the government of the
Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela in the case of Luis Posada Carriles’s
extradition.
Poetry readings by invited guest Nancy Morejón, one of Cuba’s major
authors and poets and Washington DC local artist Abayomi Huria.
U.S. and International guests: Cindy Sheehan, Norman Paech (Germany) Arnold
August (Quebec), Stephen Kimber, and Brian Gordon Sinclair (Canada) Katrien
Demynck (Belgium), Salim Lamrani (France), Juan Manuel Morales Iglesias and
actor Willy Toledo (Spain), Invited Ambassadors of ALBA’s countries
Saturday, April 21
10 am, meeting with leaders of different religious denominations (Place TBA)
with Special Guest: Rev. Dora Arce-Valentín, Presbyterian Reformed Church
in Cuba. Cuban Theologian and professor of the Evangelical Theological Seminary
of Matanzas.
1 pm picket/rally at the White House, people will be coming from DC and
cities all over the country including buses from New York City that will travel
to DC under the slogan “Freedom ride for the Cuban 5″.
We are urging everyone to bring their signs and banners to send a strong
message to President Obama.
4 pm, Closing Event, Bolivarian Salon of the Embassy of the Bolivarian
Republic of Venezuela, 2443 Massachusetts Ave, N.W., Keynote Speaker Cindy
Sheehan. Presentations by DC children’s theater group: “The
greatest weapon of Cuba, a tribute to Cuban doctors”, directed by Obi
Egbuna Jr. and Hemingway’s HOT Havana: Brian Gordon Sinclair, Artistic
Director.
Sponsored by: International Committee for the Freedom of the Cuban 5
For more information: http://www.thecuban5.org
RESERVE A SEAT ON THE BUSES COMING FROM NEW YORK
Be a Freedom Rider for the Five and get on the bus to Washington DC
Freedom Riders $5 – For The 5 (Round-Trip Cost). Bring Lunch/Water
Will Be Provided
Freedom Buses Leave: 6am, Return: 4pm
Freedom Bus Locations for Participating Boroughs:
FREEDOM RIDE FOR THE CUBAN 5
SATURDAY APRIL 21, 2012 - WASHINGTON, D.C.
IF YOUR PLANNING TO BECOME A "FREEDOM RIDER" ON APRIL 21, 2012
HERE ARE THE BUS LOCATIONS AND TRANSPORTATION INFORMATION
FREEDOM BUS #1
Upper Manhattan, Washington Heights - 179 Street & Broadway, Port Authority
Bus Terminal. By train: #
Eighth Avenue Express A line to 181 Street Stop and Walk to Broadway and 179
Street to Port Authority Bus Terminal
Broadway/Seventh Avenue Local #1 line
Contact #: (917) 645-6807
FREEDOM BUS #2
The Bronx, Hostos Community College -149 Street and Grand Concourse.
# 4 Lexington Avenue Express to 149 Street & Grand Concourse Stop
# 5 Lexngton Avenue Express to 149 Street & Grand Concourse Stop
# 2 Broadway Avenue Line to 149 Street & Grand Concourse Stop
Contact #: (917) 882-8805
FREEDOM BUS #3
Lower Manhattan, D.C. 37/AFSCME, 125 Barclay Street. Santos Crespo, President,
Local 372/DC 37-ASFCME and staff will coordinate this bus and it is already
full as folks signed up at the Delegate Assembly this past week.
# 1, #2, #3 Trains to Chambers Street Stop
A Train to Park Place Stop.
Contact #: (212) 815-7630 (Mon-Fri 9-5)...
FREEDOM BUS #4
East Harlem/El Barrio, Manhattan - Centro Cultural Julia de Burgos, 106th
Street and Lexington Avenue. Franklin Flores and Nancy Cabrero, Casa de las
Américas are coordinating this bus.
#4 Lexington Avenue Express to 125th Street and Transfer to the #6 Local to 103
Street Stop
#6 Lexington Avenue Local to 104 Street Stop.
Contact #: (917) 412-4451
For More Information, To Become A Sponsor, & Reserve Your Seat
Today:
Call 917-887-8710. casadelasamericas@unacuba.org – www.unacuba.org
info@july26coalition.org - www.july26coalition.org
