Amid the protests that shook the town of Morón on Friday night, a group of citizens created a tense moment by standing in front of the police station and shouting "Freedom" in the street.
A video circulating on social media shows young men and women standing with their faces uncovered, demanding their rights. The footage even includes a mother with her young daughter in her arms participating in the protest.
At the station entrance, police officers and other members of the Ministry of the Interior stood by, observing, neither daring to intervene nor to leave their positions.
The protesters were chanting and banging pots and metal objects, a full-blown "cacerolazo."
For several minutes, the protesters, openly revealing their identities, positioned themselves directly in front of the regime agents to demand freedom and express their discontent, while the uniformed officers stood still.
The images circulating on the Internet were recorded by one of the protesters.
Protest that went through several streets of the city
What happened in front of the police station was part of a larger demonstration that took place that same night in the municipality of Avileño.
Dozens of citizens took to the streets to protest against power outages, food shortages, and the deep economic crisis affecting the country.
Videos shared on social media show a crowd walking through various areas of the city while repeatedly chanting the slogan "Freedom!" and banging on pots and metal objects.
In one of the recordings, a person can be heard broadcasting live while encouraging other neighbors to join the protest.
"Let's go my people, share this live stream! Morón and Ciego de Ávila take to the streets demanding freedom," says the narrator in the video.
According to that testimony, the march moved through several streets until it reached the vicinity of the police unit.
"The people are tired of going hungry, struggling, in need, without electricity... It's over!" states one of the protesters as the march continues.
The slogan "Patria y Vida," which became a symbol of opposition following the national protests on July 11, 2021, was also chanted.
The images show that many people used their mobile phone flashlights and motorcycle lights to illuminate the march amidst the blackouts.
Fire at the headquarters of the Communist Party and reports of gunfire
The tension escalated overnight when a group of residents set fire to the municipal headquarters of the Communist Party of Cuba (PCC).
According to independent journalist Guillermo Rodríguez Sánchez, a police officer allegedly discharged his weapon, hitting a young man in the thigh who was near a bonfire in the street, in front of the party headquarters.
"The exact moment when, according to the present crowd, a police officer fired his gun and struck a boy in the thigh who was gathered around a bonfire in the center of the street in front of the PCC of that municipality," explained the communicator while sharing the video of the incident.
The images released show several neighbors carrying the injured young man to get him out of the area while trying to help him.
Other videos shared later show how protesters threw burning objects at the Party headquarters, while the fire ended up reaching part of the building.
According to images shared by journalist Mario J. Pentón, some protesters managed to enter the building and remove some furniture, paintings, and political propaganda materials.
The objects were piled in the middle of the street and turned into a large bonfire while shouts and slogans against the regime were heard.
Interrupted internet and reports of repression
The incidents also occurred during an internet service outage in the area, which hindered the flow of real-time information.
Journalists and activists reported that the disruption of connectivity coincided with reports of gunfire and the dissemination of images of the fire near the PCC headquarters.
Journalist José Raúl Gallego also reported that several bicycles used by police officers were allegedly burned during the riots.
The reports also indicate that special forces deployed in the area allegedly unleashed dogs against the protesters to disperse the demonstration.
According to those reports, there were children and adolescents among the participants in the demonstration.
What happened reflects the growing social unrest that has accumulated after years of economic crisis, prolonged blackouts, food shortages, and a lack of freedoms.
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