By Jim Burns. CNS Senior Staff Writer. 19 April, 2000
(CNSNews.com)- Washington DC police are investigating a Friday night incident in which a group of people showing support for 6 year old Elian Gonzalez were allegedly beaten by several Cuban government employees outside the Cuban Interests Section in the city.
A Washington DC police report said the incident occurred "at about 7:30 pm Friday when 10 unidentified Cuban employees of the mission came out and began to assault the demonstrators on the front sidewalk." The report went on to say there were about 20 Cuban-Americans on the streets
protesting Elian's return to Cuba.
Police made no arrests and reported no serious injuries in the incident. Cuban officials at the mission were interviewed by police but would not provide reporters with a list of names of those who were involved in the incident.
Meanwhile, Florida congressman Lincoln Diaz-Balart (R-FL) sent a letter to the head of the Secret Service calling for an investigation of the incident. Diaz-Balart alleges "members of the United States Secret Service were present during an incident where peaceful protesters were assaulted
by Cuban government agents."
However, a Secret Service spokesman told the Washington Times, a preliminary review of the incident showed that "a verbal altercation between the two groups escalated into a physical confrontation and that two uniformed officers intervened in a responsible manner to restore order and
prevent injury."
A DC police spokesman said the police department is investigating the incident that's being described as a "simple assault."
Miami Mayor Joe Carollo traveled to Washington on Tuesday to protest the assault. He told a Washington news conference, that 15 Cubans from inside the mission attacked the "peaceful demonstrators in an unprovoked assault during which several people were injured."
Carollo described the alleged attackers as "thugs." |