The planned protest at the U.S. Embassy in Abuja by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC)-led coalition against the continued United States of America trade embargo on Cuba could not hold at the embassy.
Representatives of labour unions from African countries and civil society groups had planned to hold protest march on Tuesday at the embassy in Abuja to demand the lifting of trade embargo against Cuba.
But the leaders of the protest revealed that they were advised not to march to the embassy by security authorities.
At the embassy, security was beefed up with the deployment of more policeman on guard.
Following the directive, the protesters made up of Nigerian workers and delegates at the ongoing 6th African Solidarity meeting on Cuba gathered at the Unity Fountain in Maitama, Abuja where they read out messages of solidarity with the government and people of Cuba.
The protesters also displayed banners urging world leaders to prevail on the US to jettison the long-standing economic blockade against Cuba.
Addressing the protesters, the Head of Publicity for the Nigeria Movement for Solidarity with Cuba, Comrade Owei Lakemfa said that the inability to protest at the US embassy had not diminished the impact of the solidarity action.
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He said the police apparently acted on the complaint by the goverment of the United States to prevent protesters from going to march at their embassy.
He said: “The imperialists are jittery and may have contacted our government which asked the police to stop our protest at the embassy. So we have decided to come to the Unity Fountain which is the symbol of unity to protest instead of the US embassy, “ he said.
On his part, the Coordinator of the Cuban solidarity movement, Mr. Abiodun Aremu said the peaceful protest march was to reinforce the call for the US to lift the economic blockade on Cuba.
He said the continued aggression and economic blockade against Cuba by the US was criminal and should be stopped.
Aremu said that every country has a right to its sovereignty.
“The point should be repeated because the point we seek to make tomorrow particularly with the largest gathering of Africans here is that Cuba has demonstrated itself as part of Africa not only in terms of ancestral linkages but in terms of its commitments and sacrifices for the liberation of the African people.