Political prisoners’ wives harassed in Havana – BBC

“On leaving the church they were surrounded by an angry mob and shoved off the street and into a park. They were surrounded for about seven hours, with pro-government supporters shouting insults. The women responded by staying on their feet, silently staring their opponents in the face.”

The Damas de Blanco (Ladies in White) of Havana, Cuba go to mass every Sunday wearing white dresses and then silently walk through the streets. This is their silent protest, not for or against any government or ideology or ruler, but simply to express their desire to be reunited with their husbands, sons, fathers, brothers, who were arrested and summarily tried and sentenced in 2003 by the Cuban government for their work with the Varela Project, a grassroots initiative to institute constitutional reforms and promote human rights in Cuba.

Varela Project organizer Oswaldo Paya:

None of those convicted in April 2003 was charged with using or having weapons, inciting violence or disorder, espionage, or any other crime. They were convicted for expressing their opinion, exercising free journalism, and promoting civic initiatives.

Cuba’s Black Spring and the Ladies in White – The Huffington Post

Their strategy and method of protest appear to be adopted from the famous Madres de Plaza de Mayo in Argentina who were demanding information on their missing sons from the military dictatorship that ruled the country. They have been immortalized in popular culture through songs such as Sting’s They Dance Alone and U2′s Mothers of the Disappeared.