By Marika Lynch . mlynch@herald.com. Published Wednesday, April 5, 2000, in the Miami Herald
As word spread Monday that Elian Gonzalez was likely to be turned over to his father soon, protest leaders called on demonstrators to gather outside the Little Havana house of his Miami relatives and stay there through the night and into this morning.
Democracy Movement leader Ramon Saul Sanchez asked the crowd of about 150 to stay overnight at the Gonzalez home Monday evening and take today off from work to protest at the house. He urged others in the community to join in.
During his speech to the crowd, he urged them to remain nonviolent and led them to a chant of ``El paro viene,'' the strike is coming.
``We will abide by the wishes of the family. They are the only ones with Elian's best interest in mind,'' Sanchez said afterward. ``If the government revokes the boy's parole and the Miami family doesn't come to an agreement with the government, there will be civil disobedience.''
LAWMAKER ARRIVES
At about 9 p.m., U.S. Rep. Lincoln Diaz-Balart swept onto the scene to address the crowd. Fresh from the MSNBC broadcast of A Town Meeting: Battle for Elian Gonzalez at the Knight Center in Miami, he urged the crowd to be peaceful.
``Violence is not an option. We cannot resort to violence -- we have to do everything within the law to make sure that the pending state court matter is resolved,'' he said.
About 8:30 p.m., a 20-car horn-honking parade with signs and Cuban flags began a noisy caravan up and down Flagler Street, just blocks from the Gonzalez home.
Earlier in the day, Sanchez led about 50 people in practicing to form a human chain and instructed them on how to be arrested nonviolently. He asked everyone to get on their cell phones and invite friends to the Gonzalez home.
`SITUATION CRITICAL'
``The situation is critical but not lost,'' Sanchez said to the crowd of people joined elbow to elbow. ``We need to show the world how we are going to act in civil disobedience nonviolently.''
Miami-Dade County Mayor Alex Penelas urged people to remain calm.
``We're commending people for the way they acted at the prayer vigil Wednesday night and saying that's the kind of activity we need, should something happen,'' Penelas said.
Family spokesman Armando Gutierrez declined to confirm that the Immigration and Naturalization Service had told the family that the boy would be surrendered to his father. But he also urged people to remain calm.
Sanchez told the crowd that about 150 federal agents are in town just waiting to intervene. Maria Cardona, spokesman for the INS in Washington, said those reports are ``absolutely false.''
Outside the house, protesters set up a stereo sound system and passed around a microphone, singing songs and urging people to tell everyone they know to come to the house. Overhead, a plane towed a banner that read, ``Virgin Mary, Pray to God, We Will Save Elian,'' from Mision Cristo Rey.
CHAIN QUESTIONED
Religious leader K.A. Paul, of the Global Peace Initiative, in town to support the Miami family, questioned if the human chain could stop anything: ``These people aren't trained. You need 10,000 people in five rows. They won't stop anything, but what can you do?''
He implored the crowd to ask God for help.
``We can't do anything without our own strength,'' he told the crowd through a microphone. ``We need God to be with us.''
The crowd bowed their heads, and even Francisco Gonzalez, a bridal shop worker selling 75-cent candy bars to protesters, prayed.
``I'm very hurt by the situation,'' said Gonzalez, 43.
Meanwhile, in a tent set up outside the home, six people continued a hunger strike they began Friday.
One sign hanging in the bushes said, ``You did the right thing, Al Gore. Promise if elected to fire Reno and denounce Clinton for treason, and the White House will be yours.''
Copyright 2000 Miami Herald |