[antiwar-van] Tues Feb. 19 Picket Action to Free the Cuban 5ive with guest JOHN WALLER

[Tamara Hansen]

***Please forward widely***

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~Monthly Picket Action~
FREE THE 5IVE CUBAN HEROES HELD IN U.S. JAILS NOW!
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TUESDAY
FEBRUARY 19
4PM-5PM
U.S. Consulate (1075 W. Pender St.)
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Featuring Special Guest Speaker

*JOHN WALLER*
Coordinator of the Pastors for Peace Caravan to Cuba, bringing
humanitarian aid to Cuba to challenge the inhuman U.S. Blockade.


{{{SPECIAL CASE & ACTION UPDATE}}}
On August 20th 2007, the lawyers of the 5ive Cuban Heroes appeared in
court in Atlanta to argue on three points: neglect of due process,
insufficient evidence for conspiracy and inappropriate sentencing.
This included the wrongful conviction of "conspiracy to commit murder"
laid against one of the 5ive, Gerardo Hernandez. The outcome of this
hearing is due to be released early in 2008, which means we need to be
prepared to respond no matter what the outcome is.

The Free the Cuban 5 Committee-Vancouver as well as other groups
across Canada and the U.S. will be organizing a "Week of Free the 5ive
Actions" upon the release of the outcome of the latest hearing. We
encourage all peace and justice-loving people to take part in this
important week to free the 5ive, and all events leading up to it and
after it.

Now is a critical time to rally together to FREE THE CUBAN 5IVE!

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WHO ARE THE CUBAN 5IVE?

Between 1994 and 1995, Cuba sent five unarmed men, Gerardo Hernández,
Antonio Guerrero, Ramón Labañino, Fernando González and René González
on a mission to infiltrate and expose Miami-based terrorist groups
such as Alpha 66, Omega 7, Brothers to the Rescue and the Cuban
American National Foundation. These groups are responsible for
hundreds of terrorist attacks which have taken the lives of thousands
of Cubans.

The list of atrocities committed by these groups is long. It includes
the bombing of hotels in Cuba, assassinations, spreading of diseases,
and even sabotage and attacks against Cuba's supporters in the U.S.,
such as the bombing of the Lincoln Center in 1978 after a Cuban ballet
performance. One of the most horrendous attacks was the bombing of a
Cuban airliner, which took the lives of 73 people in 1976. The 5ive
Cuban Heroes were valiantly struggling against this terror, putting
themselves and their loved ones in mortal danger throughout the
process.

After gathering evidence to expose the terrorists, Cuba released all
the information that the 5ive had collected to the FBI. On September
12th, 1998 the FBI arrested the Cuban 5ive and threw them in solitary
confinement for 17 months. It was not until 2001 that these innocent
men were tried and convicted. After a seven-month show trial (one of
the longest in U.S. history), the Cuban 5ive were sentenced to between
15 years and two life sentences. The U.S. has also denied visas to
family members of the 5ive, effectively barring them from visiting
their loved ones in prison.

Join us in the battle to free the 5ive Cuban Heroes held in U.S. jails!

***********
Organized by:
Free the Cuban 5 Committee-Vancouver (FC5C)
604.719.6947 | cuban5_van at yahoo.com
http://www.vancubasolidarity.com/freethefivevan.html

Endorsed by:
Vancouver Communities in Solidarity with Cuba (VCSC)
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