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Jul 11, 2021 - World

In photos: Thousands of Cubans rally for anti-government protests

Rebecca Falconer
People take part in a demonstration against the government of Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel in Havana, on July 11

People take part in a demonstration against the government of President Miguel Díaz-Canel in Havana, Cuba, on July 11. Photo: Yamil Lage/AFP via Getty Images

Thousands of people protested across Cuba on Sunday against food and medicine shortages during the pandemic, per AP.

Why it matters: It's unusual for demonstrations to be held against the Communist government, which is known for cracking down on dissent. The protests in Havana and elsewhere are the biggest since 1994, when an uprising saw many Cubans leave by sea, the New York Times notes.

A man is arrested during a demonstration against the government of Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel in Havana, on July 11
A man is arrested during the anti-government protest in Havana on July 11. "Multiple people have been arrested," CNN reports. Photo: Yamil Lage/AFP via Getty Images
AP photographer, Spanish Ramon Espinosa, is attacked by the police while covering a demonstration against Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel in Havana, on July 11
AP photographer Ramon Espinosa is grabbed by the police while covering the demonstration on July 11. AP reports that a group of government supporters assaulted him. Photo: Adalberto Roque/AFP via Getty Images
Cubans are seen outside Havana's Capitol during a demonstration against the government of Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel in Havana, on July 11
Cubans outside Havana's capitol building during an anti-government rally on July 11. Cuban activist Carolina Barrero told the NYT, "It is the most massive popular demonstration to protest the government that we have experienced in Cuba since ’59," when Fidel Castro took power. Photo: Yamil Lage/AFP via Getty Images
Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel (C) walks alongside his supporters in the town of San Antonio de los Banos, Cuba, Sunday, July 11
Díaz-Canel (C) with supporters in San Antonio de los Baños after the anti-government protests on July 11. Photo: Yander Zamora/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
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