Dozens of arrests were made in Havana on Thursday on International Human Rights Day, and human rights activists said there would likely be more.
The Ladies in White and other activists marched the streets of Cuba in support of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The group said they're also exercising their rights to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression.
Aiming to represent Cuba in a positive light, dozens of students and members of the Union of Young Communists, danced and played sports on Human Rights Day.
"Our students will demonstrate and display to you all and the world how in our country all children have the right to study, to participate in culture, to participate in sport," said Dania Miyan, teacher.
But not the right to free speech. Dissidents report at least 100 arrests nationwide during their Human Rights Day demonstrations.
As some shouted "freedom," they were quickly surrounded by both plainclothes and uniformed police. Other government supporters were seen shoving and pushing dissidents to the ground, trying to prevent them from yelling slogans.
"After Dec. 17, many people thought the Castro regime was going to change, but what we have been living is intense repression and violent arrests," said Antonio Rodiles, Cuban dissident.
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Pro-government counter demonstrators hurled insults at the demonstrators, loudly saying chants used to offend many who fled during the Mariel boatlift.
The Ladies in White dissident group planned a protest at a busy square, however, few showed up. Government opponents are often detained at home or en route to demonstrations.
The leader of the Ladies in White, her husband and six other members of the group were reportedly arrested by police as they were heading to the protest site.
