Cuban government denies request for civil liberties protest

The Cuban government has denied a request for a civil liberties protest on Tuesday.

The protesters, involved in a Facebook group called Archipelago, said the event would have been a peaceful march in support of civil liberties in the country, Reuters reported. 

The group received a letter from the government saying the protest was denied because it was an effort to overthrow the communist regime. 

“The protesters … as well as their links with some subversive organizations … have the open intention of changing the political system in Cuba,” the letter stated.

“The protests are a provocation and part of a regime change strategy for Cuba tested in other countries,” the government added. 

The denial of the protest comes after the country saw some of its largest demonstrations against the country’s communist government this past summer, leading to hundreds of arrests. 

Archipelago organizers say they are still figuring out their next step after the protest was denied. 

“This response shows the most conservative and hard line have power in Cuba,” protest leader Yunior García told Reuters.

Cuba has been cracking down on opposition online as well, with new social media laws implemented in August banning critical posts of the government.