Elian Ruling Sparks Angry Protests

Anger over a U.S. decision to send a 6-year-old Cuban boy home to his father propelled demonstrators into the streets here Thursday.

Throughout the day, flag-waving Cuban exiles sat down in the middle of busy intersections, disrupted traffic by driving slowly on the freeways and blocked the lone road to Miami’s seaport.

At least 80 people were arrested, including the leaders of two well-known anti-Castro groups. Most were handcuffed peacefully and loaded into police wagons.

At nightfall, protesters continued to temporarily block various intersections around greater Miami. At one busy spot, an impatient motorist plowed through a small crowd, tossing two men over the hood of the car. They were treated at the scene. The driver fled but later called authorities and said he had feared for his safety. He likely will not be charged.

Miami-Dade State Atty. Katherine Fernandez Rundle appealed for calm. “While people can express themselves, they cannot break the law or infringe on the rights of others.”

But, said 27-year-old Albert Garcia, who skipped work at American Airlines to join a protest outside a federal office building in downtown Miami, “the time has come for something drastic to be done.

“If Elian has to be the match for this fire between Cuba and the U.S., then let it be.”

Elian is Elian Gonzalez, who was found drifting alone Thanksgiving Day in an inner tube off the Florida coast. Three days earlier, the small boat in which he, his mother and 11 others were attempting to flee Cuba had sunk.

Elian’s mother drowned. The boy and two others survived.

For the last six weeks, the child has been living with relatives in Miami--and has become a virtual icon for many anti-Castro Cubans.

But the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service announced Wednesday that Elian’s father, Juan Miguel Gonzalez, had the sole legal claim to the boy. Elian is to be returned to his father in Cardenas, Cuba, by Jan. 14.

While attorneys representing Elian’s Miami relatives have vowed to go to court to block his repatriation, their chances seem slim.

U.S. Atty. Gen. Janet Reno indicated Thursday that the INS decision is final. “Based on all the information I have to date, I see no basis for reversing [the decision],” she said. Reno said she had consulted with INS Commissioner Doris Meissner before the ruling was announced Wednesday.

The controversy over custody of the child is not expected to affect U.S.-Cuba relations, which have improved slightly under the Clinton administration. The two nations have not had normal relations for nearly 40 years.

But Elian’s story is dramatic, and his case is politically charged.

Republican presidential hopefuls Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and publisher Steve Forbes each weighed in Thursday with criticism of the INS decision. “His mother sacrificed her life to get him here,” Forbes said. “The Clinton-Gore administration clearly isn’t championing freedom.”

Said McCain: “The only people sent back to Cuba are criminals.”

Texas Gov. George W. Bush, the GOP front-runner, also has opposed sending Elian back.

In Florida, Republican Gov. Jeb Bush, the GOP candidate’s brother, echoed the sentiments of many anti-Castro hard-liners, saying Thursday that the child’s father should come to the U.S. “to make a case for reunification.”

And Vice President Al Gore, campaigning for the Democratic presidential nomination, also said that Elian should not be returned until his father is allowed to freely express his wishes--preferably on American soil.

At midafternoon Thursday, Miami police in riot gear confronted demonstrators blocking the road into the downtown seaport and began arresting those who refused to move. Most were handcuffed without violence.

During the morning rush hour, three truckers were ticketed for driving 10 mph on the Dolphin Expressway, causing traffic to back up for miles. Each was cited for an offense that carries an $85 fine.

Instant polls conducted by local televisions stations indicated that most in Miami disagreed with the nature of the protests. But more demonstrations were scheduled for today, including one calling for drivers to go no more than 15 mph.

Meanwhile, Elian was seen Thursday afternoon in the yard of his uncle’s Little Havana house, being carried around on the shoulders of a relative. The boy ate candy and mugged for about a dozen photographers.

“He’s fine,” said family spokesman Armando Gutierrez. “He wanted to come home and get some bubble gum.”

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Times staff writers Edwin Chen, Maria L. La Ganga and Anne-Marie O’Connor in New Hampshire and Dave Lesher in Los Angeles contributed to this story.