Massive crowd protests outside Freedom Tower in downtown Miami, calling for Cuban freedom

MIAMI – A large protest in downtown Miami happened outside the Freedom Tower Saturday afternoon and into the evening.

Everyone in the crowd shared a connection to the communist country.

Joel Gandara was just 4 years old when he came from Cuba on a boat.

“When the boat would go up, all I would see is the sky,” he said.

Rosa Iglesas, who left the island when she was 19, has a similar story.

“What my country needed is the same thing I came here looking for; freedom,” she said.

Iglesas’ daughter, is now pushing for freedom along with her.

“My parents came from Cuba, and they gave me a better life here, they gave me freedom,” said Gabriella Quinitero.

They were some of the thousands who came out to the Freedom Tower on Saturday, a landmark for Cubans seeking a better life.

Thousands gathered outside Downtown Miami's Freedom Tower to protest for Cuba. (WPLG)

The massive rally marked the seventh straight day of protests in South Florida, with many calling on President Joe Biden to take action.

The unprecedented uprisings come as conditions in Cuba continue to deteriorate, problems only made worse by the recent pandemic.

The rally ended with the illumination of the Freedom Tower in the colors of the Cuban flag.

Even FTX Arena, the home area for the Miami Heat located right across the street, displayed a message of solidarity as well.

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About the Author

Trent Kelly is an award-winning multimedia journalist who joined the Local 10 News team in June 2018. Trent is no stranger to Florida. Born in Tampa, he attended the University of Florida in Gainesville, where he graduated with honors from the UF College of Journalism and Communications.

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