VZCZCXYZ0000
PP RUEHWEB
DE RUCNDT #0013 0071708
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 071708Z JAN 08
FM USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3496
INFO RUEHUB/USINT HAVANA 0246
UNCLAS USUN NEW YORK 000013
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR IO/UNP AND DS/DSS/DO
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OFDP CU UN
SUBJECT: CUBANS PROTEST DEMONSTRATION AGAINST MISSION
1. USUN has received a diplomatic note (No. NV-6237 of
12/19/07) from the Cuban Mission protesting a demonstration
that occurred on December 10 directly across the street from
that Mission. The note, text of which appears in paragraph 3
below, notes that the demonstration took place in an
unauthorized area after NYPD fixed post protection was
removed on November 30, 2007.
2. USUN has also received a NYPD report that a Hispanic
male, later identified as Ivan Dambreville, a Cuban migr,
threw a rock through one of the Mission's windows on December
26. Dambreville, who remained in front of the Cuban Mission
after the incident, was arrested by the NYPD and charged with
felony criminal mischief. A copy of the police report is
being faxed to IO/UNP- Edmondson. USUN has not/not yet
received a protest from the Cuban Mission on the December 26
incident.
3. BEGIN TEXT OF CUBAN NOTE of 12/10: Complimentary
salutation....and has the honor to inform that on last 10
December 2007, a demonstration against Cuba of about 22
people took place in front of the Cuban Mission to the United
Nations.
The Permanent Mission of Cuba to the United Nations noticed
that, among the demonstrators, there were persons wearing
military uniforms bearing the banner of the US-based
terrorist organization Alpha 66, which has a long record of
criminal actions against Cuba, an event that sets a serious
precedent of hostile actions against our Mission.
The Permanent Mission of Cuba to the United Nations
reiterates the responsibility and commitment that the
relevant US authorities have toward the protection of
Diplomatic Missions and requests the United States Mission to
take the necessary steps to prevent actions such as the above
mentioned from repeating and so that these measures
contribute to the good development of this Diplomatic
Mission's functions, especially after police protection of
our Mission was unilaterally removed.
The Permanent Mission of Cuba to the United Nations would
like to inform that the aforementioned manifestation was set
on the west side of Lexington Avenue, stretching from the
corner of 38th street up to the front of the Missions
entrance, using loudspeakers, producing excessive noise which
disturbed the Mission's orderly work, all of which is a
violation of procedures established on Note No. HC-33-95 of 9
June 1995, from the United States Permanent Mission to the
United Nations, to eliminate potential clashes and conditions
considered as interference with the performance of the
Mission's functions.
After telephoning the Diplomatic Security Service of the
Department of State and the New York Police Department to
inform about this action, the relevant authorities failed to
take the corresponding measures to move the demonstration to
the place established in the aforementioned Note, according
to which such demonstrations shall be carried out "... on the
south-east corner and the intersections of E39th street and
Lexington Avenue. The authorized area may extend to the
south along the west side of Lexington Avenue until the north
limit of the Permanent Mission in such a way that
demonstrators stay on the opposite sidewalk to the Cuban
Mission but not in front of it..."
The Permanent Mission of Cuba to the United Nations would
like to reiterate the United States authorities,
responsibility toward actions of this nature which attempt
against the security and normal work of the Permanent Mission
of Cuba to the United Nations.
The Permanent Mission of Cuba to the United Nations avails
itself of this opportunity to renew to the United States
Permanent Mission to the United Nations the assurances of its
highest consideration. END TEXT
Wolcott