70 jovenes detenidos en Cuba por llevar la manilla de CAMBIO

More than 70 youths arrested in Cuba for wearing a bracelet with the word CAMBIO (Change) October 29th 2007 70 young people were arrested in the Centro Habana Municipality They were taken to the Sanja y Dragones police station Let's listen to part of the report Around 70 people that were marching down the street were intercepted by the police (PNR) All of them were arrested and taken to the police station in Sanja Most of them were young, between 15 and their early twenties To this moment we know that they have released 10 of them We do not know their names. The news has been reported by Radio Marti, by Encuentro en la Red and by WQE To understand what happened last Sunday, close to 70 people, most of them young they were wearing a bracelet that said CAMBIO (Change) and they were walking through a central part of the capital of Cuba when the state police assaulted them We have live on the telephone Mr. Pavel Cepeda He was a victim of a similar incident the next day He was sitting in la Fuente de la Juventud located at Infante and 23rd Street When two policemen came to him and assaulted him How are you doing Pavel? We can hear you... Tell us what happened Well, I was sitting with my friends and one of the police who are walking around he came to take my bracelet and I told him "No, it's mine!" That I was wearing it because my mother is one of the Damas de Blanco (Ladies in White) My bracelet had the word CAMBIO (Change) Then he asked me if it refers to regime change. I said "Of course!" And that is when they started to harass me and insult me But specifically what did they tell you? What did they tell you for wearing a bracelet that says regime change? He asked me why I was wearing that. I told him that because my mother was a Dama de Blanco (Lady in White) And my uncle is an independent journalist, working for human rights, one of the 75 (imprisoned in 2003) Then he told me that all of us were "comemierdas" (expletive) Ok, and what did you respond? I told him that the he was the "comemierda!" (expletive) (laughter) Ok, and then, what did he tell you after that? That is when they came over me, they took my bracelet, they hit me, and they pushed me into the police car very violenlty They took me to the Sanja station, where I was detained for 12 hours Without water or anything. I didn't want it either but... But you know, in other times of history a young person like you would not have dared to respond that way to a policeman But now I see that youth, and you as a part of that, are raising their voices and present an argument like this one you are telling me about Also, I made my statement at the station and other of the people in the cell supported me We were more than 50, we did not fit in there What did you say in your statement? Once you were inside the station, what did you say? I said: "Change of regime, change of government, no more of the Castro regime" They hit me, they pushed me The police captain, the superior, with the badge number 10739 harased me verbally many times What did he say to you? How was the harassment? What was the meaning of his words? To me and to the rest, that we were like dogs. They did not give anything to us In some instances they told us to go to hell, with bad words. Specially to me because I was the one talking Were you physically mistreated? I experienced that too. They scratched my neck My hand is bruised from when they took the bracelet and then from the handcuffs So, can we say then that to use a bracelet that says CAMBIO is a new fashion for young people in Cuba? Yes, I use it for my mother and my family, because we are under this system Very battered, we are all mistretead constanlty I thank you very much, Pavel, for talking to us. Pavel Cepeda who was assaulted as you just heard for using this CAMBIO bracelet But it wasn't just him, also in another demonstration on Sunday 70 youths that were walking through the capital with the same bracelet It's always a pleasure to be with you And, like I always say, if God is with you, who against you!