Protesters say now is not the time for Obama visit

A small group of Cuban dissidents are carrying out an anti-government demonstration in Havana hours before U.S. President Barack Obama is set to arrive.

Members of the Ladies in White group are attending Mass at a Catholic Church as about 10 other dissidents have gathered in a park outside.

Two men are holding a hand-lettered sign that says: “Obama, traveling to Cuba is not fun. No more human rights violations.”

For the last year, weekly Sunday marches by the Ladies with other government opponents have routinely been broken up by counter-protesters and then the police, who round up the dissidents, load them on buses and detain them briefly.

Former political prisoner Angel Moya says they want to send a message to Obama that “this is not the time for the president to visit Cuba. He said he would only come when there were improvements on human rights, and in practice the Cuban government is oppressing (us) more.”

Dissidents alleged that some of their numbers were prevented by authorities from attending the demonstration.