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Young Miamians Amp Up Annual Protests Against Guantánamo

Julia Longoria
/
WLRN

Credit Julia Longoria / WLRN
/
WLRN
Protesters march down NW 87th avenue in Doral toward United States Southern Command.

It's been 13 years since the first prisoners arrived at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba. To mark that anniversary, this past Sunday protesters took to the streets in cities across the country.

But among all those cities, 64-year-old Miamian Linda Belgrave said Doral was one of the most important places to protest and demand that President Obama make good on the promise he made in 2009: to close the Guantánamo Bay prison.

"The United States Southern Command is here," Belgrave said. That's the facility where Guantánamo prison operations are planned. "We have a special responsibility [to protest] being in Miami because this facility is here."

Belgrave, an activist with the peace and social justice organization Code Pink, has marched to U.S. Southern Command every year for almost a decade, but she said protester turnout over the years hasn't been great.

"It's kind of tough," said Belgrave, who's originally from Cleveland, Ohio. "Miami's a tougher crowd, you know, because it's not the most progressive city in the country, politically speaking."

So when over 60 people showed up to march in the pouring rain this year, Belgrave said she was surprised — and she and her friends at Code Pink couldn't take the credit.

"Young people have kind of taken over organizing it," she said. "[They] came up with creative ideas, including yesterday, they went out to Wynwood [dressed] in orange jumpsuits and reached a whole different audience."

Among the new young leaders is teacher Cassia Laham, 25, an organizer with People's Opposition to War, Imperialism and Racism, or POWIR. She's been protesting in Miami since she was a teen when her parents would drive her to demonstrations throughout the city. Now, Belgrave says Laham's taking on the leadership role and bringing new faces into the old protest.

Credit Julia Longoria / WLRN
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WLRN
Young Protesters in orange suits line up along the fence at United States Southern Command in Doral, FL, to protest the U.S. prison in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba.

  “Miami’s given the short end of the stick," Laham said. "It’s hard to organize here and yes it rains every five seconds. But we do also have the ability to get together. We’ve seen it with the Black Lives Matter marches, and we’re seeing it now for the Guantánamo marches. So you know, don’t count Miami out. We’re getting there.”

Police cars escorted marchers along Northwest 87th Avenue on their way to U.S. Southern Command where afternoon protests remained peaceful.

"I've noticed a lot more police than last year," said Brian Stetten, 51, of the Green Party. "Could be because there's been more protest activity than usual. ... The homeless hate laws have increased protests in Fort Lauderdale, and then you have the protests against police brutality against African Americans. ... That's probably attracted the attention of the police."

Officers on the scene said they weren't allowed to comment.

Organizers said they would continue annual protests until the remaining 127 prisoners at Guantánamo Bay are released.

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