Cuban police break up protest march

Cuban police have prevented the mothers and wives of detained dissidents from marching on the outskirts of Havana, the capital, forcing them into buses and taking them away, witnesses say. The so-called Ladies in White were heckled by hundreds of government supporters as they marched with the mother of Orlando Zapata, who died in a prison hunger strike in February. As the women began their march on Wednesday, hundreds of pro-government supporters crowded around them, shouting "Long Live Fidel!" and "Get out, worms!" The government said the hecklers acted spontaneously as a result of disgust with the women, but some believe the government organises them and that many of those taking part are members of state security. The AFP news agency reported that police arrested the 30 women.