Organizers: 'Massive’ protest march a success

Organizers said the march beat expectations, but the turnout appeared less than the “massive” demonstration that protest leaders had been calling for over the past two weeks.

“The march has been a success,” said Puerto Rico Bar Association President Arturo Hernández. “It would have been enough with one person, with 15 or 1,000. So many people turned out and we are satisfied.”

The march and rally remained peaceful as of Sunday afternoon, with musical acts still scheduled to perform and protest leaders slated to deliver speeches outside Police Department headquarters. Estimates of participation ranged from 3,000 to 5,000 people.

Gov. Luis Fortuño’s name was booed repeatedly. Participants cheered as they were updated on the medal tally as competition began in the Central American & Caribbean Games in the island’s western region.

“We are going to organize to remain alert and step up at historic moments as needed, regardless of political stripes,” Hernández said.

Bishop Juan Vera, spokesman for the Todo Puerto Rico por Puerto Rico coalition, said the “strong message that the people continue to give the government is that change is needed.”

Popular Democratic Party President Héctor Ferrer said the rally “is the start of a Puerto Rican alliance to move forward, to prepare ourselves and take power from Luis Fortuño.”

“If he doesn’t start to listen to the people, his days are numbered,” the House minority leader said.

A crowd setting out from the University of Puerto Rico’s main campus in Río Piedras blew vuvuzelas, the raucous horns that marked the recent World Cup in South Africa, and shouted slogans as they made their way along Ponce de León Avenue toward Hato Rey.

Former Gov. Aníbal Acevedo Vilá was heckled while participating in the protest march.

The former Popular Democratic Party governor was marching along when a Socialist Youth Union member yelled at him “Listen here Aníbal, you’re garbage. You are a tool that defended the bourgeoisie,” according to an Inter News Service report.

Acevedo Vilá quickly moved to another area of the pack, according to the report.

Organizers of the march met with Police Department officials last week to map out logistics for the demonstration against the island government.

A range of labor, professional, environmental, community, religious and student groups participated in the protest.

Marchers set out from three main points—UPR Río Piedras, Labor Department headquarters in Hato Rey and the Sagrado Corazón Urban Train station in Santurce—and converged for a rally outside Police Department headquarters on Roosevelt Avenue.

Religious organizations gathered at a Puerto Nuevo church and joined the march near Plaza Las Américas.

March logistics coordinator Eric Sevilla said a protest “security committee” was some 200 members strong.

Police brass agreed to keep riot squad officers out of view at the request of protest organizers, who are calling for the unit to be disbanded after a violent clash between agents and protesters outside the Capitol last month.

Protesters leaving from the UPR and Labor Department marched along Ponce de León Avenue to reach Roosevelt Avenue. Those setting out from the Santurce train station marched along Muñoz Rivera Avenue to the Roosevelt Avenue intersection.

The Puerto Rico Bar Association played a large role in organizing the march. Among the groups planning to participate are the Unión General de Trabajadores, Coalición Sindical, Puerto Rican Independence Party, Popular Democratic Party, Frente Amplio de Solidaridad y Lucha (FASyL), Movimiento Independentista Nacional Hostosiano (MINH), the Catholic Church, Teachers Association, Teachers Federation, University of Puerto Rico students, and others.