Orange County

Hundreds of protestors in support of Cuba block Semoran Boulevard in Orlando, 1 person arrested

ORLANDO, Fla. — Dozens of protestors took to the streets in Orlando Tuesday afternoon, blocking Semoran Boulevard.

Protestors waved signs and held flags in the middle of the street outside Sedano’s at South Semoran Boulevard and Curry Ford Road.

In Cuba, people are fighting for freedom, demanding their God-given rights after the communist dictatorship has imprisoned the island for decades.

READ: DeSantis calls for more U.S. resources to help bring internet to Cuba

“This is not because of the virus,” one protestor said. “This is because we are tired of 62 years of dictatorship and communism. We want Cuba free.”

The protest began at 6 p.m.

The rally drew more than 500 people, with Cubans who fled from the island among them.

They blocked traffic for more than 40 minutes before police cleared the street.

READ: ‘I am a product of history’: Orlando rallies in support of Cuba

At least one person was arrested, police said, but the protest was “mostly peaceful.”

A lot of Cuban Americans in Orlando are worried for their families in Cuba. They’re in the dark right now and don’t know what’s going on because they don’t have internet.

“It’s terrifying and no one is too young to understand what’s going on, and it has to end,” a protestor said.

Photos: Orlando rallies in support of Cuba

See a map of the scene below:

Adam Poulisse, WFTV.com

Adam Poulisse joined WFTV in November 2019.