House Republicans confronted a small group of left-wing demonstrators Thursday after activists tried to disrupt a press conference urging President Biden to maintain Cuba’s terrorist designation.
Four Cuban-American members of Congress – Rep. Maria Salazar (R-Fla.), Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, RN.Y., Rep. Carlos Gimenez (R-Fla.), and Rep. Mario Díaz-Balart. Rep. (R-Florida) – Minutes after a press conference began outside the U.S. Capitol, two members of the group Code Pink and another suddenly stepped forward.
The demonstrators held placards that read “Remove Cuba from the list of terrorists” and refused to move from the area in front of the Congress exhibit despite questions.
“I wish the average Cuban had the same privileges that you have now,” Salazar told the activists. “Well, thank you for giving us the privilege.”
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Left-wing demonstrators disrupt anti-communist Cuba press conference by House Republicans (Elizabeth Elkind/Fox News Digital)
Mr. Salazar continued, “You know, I love this, because if we were to travel to Cuba right now, and you and I…we’d be this close to the Capitol, and we’d have no idea what we thought. You won’t be able to talk and interact like the rest of us.” They could be thrown in jail right now or put on a plane back to Miami. ”
“Isn’t it beautiful over there?” the protester replied.
Code Pink is an anti-war group that has staged several demonstrations in and around the U.S. Capitol in response to Israel’s war in Gaza.
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Malliotakis, whose mother is a Cuban refugee, noted that Cuba has close ties to Iran, which supports groups like Hamas.
“Instead of standing here and protesting the press conference, you should be standing at the southern border or across the ocean and watching Cubans flee on makeshift rafts,” she said. “And we might be able to find out what’s really going on in communist Cuba, because we’re taking advantage of privileges that only we have here in the United States, and that aren’t given to the Cuban people.”
Oscar-winning actress Susan Sarandon and Code Pink rally in support of Palestinians demanding a ceasefire in Gaza in front of Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib’s (D-MI) Capitol Hill office on February 15, 2024 in Washington, DC. open. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
“If you did what we do here in Cuba, protesting in freedom, you would be jailed, beaten, killed. … We are standing here holding signs of support. It’s ironic that it’s a communist regime that does all of that. ”
At one point, another demonstrator carrying a Spanish-language sign approached the deputy, and officers attempted to intervene. House Republicans blocked her removal and instead called for her to be moved to a location that would not pose safety concerns.
The demonstrators did not move during the press conference.
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At least one of them is believed to be Code Pink co-founder Mehdi Benjamin. Benjamin has been seen in the halls of Congress in recent weeks participating in various protests, including the Gaza ceasefire demonstration with progressive activist and actress Susan Sarandon.
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Malliotakis called her a “professional agitator.”
Benjamin acknowledged attending the event and said in a statement to Fox News Digital: “These politicians have been pushing the same tired positions for more than 70 years, and the only The result is the impoverishment of the Cuban people.”If they really cared about Cuban families, they would seek measures to alleviate the shortage, such as lifting sanctions and removing Cuba from the terrorist list.” ”
According to the U.S. State Department, Cuba was designated as a state sponsor of terrorism in 1982 “because of its long history of providing advice, safe haven, communications, training, and financial support to guerrilla groups and individual terrorists.”
