Boricua Contingent at the Anti-Inaugural Protest

Vieques made itself felt in Washington DC once more, at the presidential inauguration on January 20, as stateside Boricuas joined 750,000 other demonstrators from all walks of life to let George W. Bush know that his mockery of democracy will not be taken lightly. A “Boricua Contingent” organized by New York City's Vieques Support Campaign traveled to the capital, where they were joined by delegations from Dominicanos 2000 and Al-Awda (Palestine Right of Return Coalition), as well as numerous Boricuas from DC and other states. In total, nearly 200 people said “¡Presente!” for the cause of peace, justice, and self-determination.

Arriving around noon, the Boricua Contingent endured the freezing wind and rain for over three hours, voicing the demands of the viequense people for an immediate and permanent cessation of bombing practices by the US Navy on the island-municipality. Although police security made their access to the main focus of the action on Pennsylvania Avenue impossible, the Boricuas drew considerable attention from the public with their lively plena music, spirited flag-waving, and ingenious slogans. International solidarity was made evident, as the entire group alternated chants of “US Navy out of Vieques!” with “Free, free, Palestine!”, “Free Mumia!”, and “¡Boricua, Quisqueya!” Despite the harsh weather and distance from the inaugural activities, spirits remained high throughout the event.

No acts of civil disobedience were scheduled for this protest, which was carried out without major incidents, despite a brief moment of tension when uniformed members of the Navy crossed through the area occupied by the group, mocking and taunting the participants. A rapid response by police in riot gear led some participants to suspect planned provocation. Fortunately, violence was averted by restraint, despite the visible indignation of the protesters. The Boricua Contingent retired to their buses at 3:00pm sharp, in an orderly fashion, as they were cheered on by other Anti-Bush protesters.

This protest took place amidst uncertainty over a possible last-minute moratorium on Navy bombing on Vieques by former President Clinton. Although Vieques was the central theme of the Boricua Contingent's presence, its members expressed concern over the legitimacy of the election results, as well as Bush's foreseen right-wing policies. Bush has already stated that he will uphold the Clinton-Rosselló agreement that allows the Navy to continue practicing with supposedly inert bombs until a referendum can be held, which will not include the clearly expressed choice of the people of Vieques: an immediate, permanent, and total Navy withdrawal.