Pro-Cuban protesters block Miami expressway

Protesters blocked a Miami expressway on Tuesday night to show support for those in Cuba fighting against the government.

The Palmetto Expressway was blocked for hours with police redirecting traffic, NBC Miami reported. The group chanted “Libertad” and waved Cuban flags.

Other protests in support of the Cuban people popped up in the Miami area, including at the restaurant Little Havana and at Tamiami Park.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) voiced his support for activists in Cuba on Tuesday. 

“They are revolting against a corrupt communist dictatorship that has ruled that island with an iron fist for over 60 years, that is responsible for death and destruction, not just on the island of Cuba but really throughout the Western Hemisphere, with their actions supporting other Marxist regimes,” DeSantis said, according to NBC News. “These are people that fundamentally desire a fresh start. And they desire a free society.”

When asked about the similarities with last year’s Black Lives Matter demonstrations, considering DeSantis got an anti-riot bill passed with increased penalties for violent activists, the governor said these protests are “fundamentally different than what we saw last summer.”

“These are people that are rebelling against a communist dictatorship,” he said.

Miami Mayor Francis Suarez also acknowledged the fight the Cuban people are in against their government. 

“This was done today in the midst of these historic protests in Cuba and this is about the history of the fighting for freedom in Cuba which continues until today,” Suarez said. “This does not just impact Cuba, it impacts the United States.”

The protests over the weekend in Cuba left more than 100 people arrested and one person dead.