Thousands of Cubans take to streets in rare anti-government protests

Thousands of Cubans have taken to the streets in rare anti-government protests as the island suffers its worst economic crisis in decades.

The rallies erupted in several cities, with Cubans angered by chronic shortages of food, electricity and medicine, as well as restrictions on civil liberties and authorities’ handling of the pandemic.

Demonstrators were filmed hurling objects on the streets of the capital, Havana.

Counter-demonstrations in support of the regime were also held, with one participant telling Agence France-Presse: “Capitalism will never come back here again and these mercenaries paid by the US empire will never again take our streets.”