Anti-Cuban offensive routed in Dublin as Caleb McCarry beats a hasty retreat

international | crime and justice | news report

Monday April 30, 2007 18:32

by Simon McGuinness - Free the Miami Five Campaign

George W Bush designated proconsul for Cuba fails to convince on Anti-Cuban policies

Caleb McCarry, the US "Transitional Coordinator for Cuba's" low key address to the students of Politics at University College Dublin thisafternoon was greeted by a lively band of demonstrators who responded to an emergency call to action by Free the Miami Five and other long time friends of Cuba.

Caleb McCary - US appointed Proconsul-in-waiting to Cuba

Having risk-assessed the assembled crowd of protestors, the meeting was delayed in starting whilst college authorities called in the Irish police to provide protection to McCarry. After the police had swept another classroom - presumably for IEDs - the protestors were advised they would be told where the new room was if they agreed to hold a peaceful protest.

No such undertaking was given as some students had already managed to find out and communicate the alternate location. In any event, the protestors were from many different political persuasions and few, if any, were willing to contemplate any negotiations with the handmaidens of imperialism.

The protestors hastily gathered up their banners from all around the previous room and hot-footed off down the corridor to the new room, the entrance to which was lined with 8 Irish police officers (quite possibly the entire police deployment for South Dublin) and the head of college security, who visually scanned them for evidence of dangerous weaponry as they entered.

Approximately 35 people squeezed into the non-descript alternate classroom where the chalk board still proclaimed the finer points of Euclidian geometry. About 6 students appeared interested to hear what Mr McCarry had to say, although only two (both, interestingly enough, with heavy Germanic accents) actually expressed any support for hearing his thoughts.

Placards were posted next to the speakers podium and facing the US Embassy officials which read "Caleb McCarry Coordinates three key US Government policies: -The Illegal Blockade of Cuba, - The Secret Terrorist War against Cuba, - The Global Propaganda against Cuba .. Why is UCD hosting him?"

Placards elsewhere in the room depicted the Cuban victims of US supported terrorists either side of a panel which read "The USA is Harbouring Terrorists - VICTIMS DEMAND JUSTICE"

In all about 8 people spoke to denounce the US policy against Cuba. Caleb McCarry, when he eventually began to exercise his rhetorical abilities spoke a total of three words "I'm", "Caleb" and "McCarry" - in that order. After that, when agreement to allow the speaker to continue was not forthcoming, the chair adjourned the meeting to a secret venue which she said would be open only to students of the faculty.

This secret venue turned out to be the service road at the rear of the building where Caleb McCarry and his consular officials were whisked away without saying anything more surrounded by the banner wielding protestors.

Extensive video footage of the meeting was taken, at one point the cameraman approaching to within 1m of the speaker on the podium for a close up of his bored expression and extensive facial hair. Mr McCarry, conscious perhaps of his unphotogenic features, asked the photographer to desist in photographing him. The cameraman agreed to desist but only after he (McCarry) agreed to desisted from attacking Cuba.

As he left the meeting McCarry was handed a leaflet "Can you be Imprisoned in the USA for Opposing Terrorism? Yes - if you Oppose Terrorism in Miami" from A Miami Five supporter. This leaflet explains the case of the Miami Five and will feature again in his in tray when it appears as two-page advertisement in a forthcoming issue of The Nation magazine devoted to Cuba.

The Miami Five supporter was wearing a t-shirt with a photograph of Luis Posada Carriles on the front and the bold text "Stop Harbouring Terrorists - Extradite Posada". Posada is a convicted terrorist who the Bush administration are refusing to prosecute or extradite for his part in the murder of 73 people in the terrorist bombing of a civilian airliner off the coast of Barbados in 1976.

On the basis of this meeting, it is likely that Caleb McCarry will think twice about addressing a public meeting in Ireland again.