sregarded Torriente. By this time the Cubans knew that a violent revolution was unavoidable.The police under Batista fiercely put down a student protest on November 27, 1955 with beatings. Laterduring a baseball game being broadcasted on television, students showed anti-Batista banners, which ledto a demonstration that was also put down by the police. In another !demonstration, they killed a popular student, Ciego de vila. His funeral on December 10 turned into aprotest that increased the support of the growing Cuban Revolution. In 1956 University of Havana waspartly destroyed by the government in hopes of preventing any public meetings or protests. On March 13,1957, the leader of the rebellious students, Jos Echeverra, and his supporters attacked thepresidential palace in order to kill Batista. Immediately after this, he declared on national radio thatthey killed Batista. Minutes later, police entered the studio and shot him, while the Cubans rejoiced tohear that their dictator had been killed. Later, it was confirmed that Batista had actually escaped theattack. Today, March 13 is a national holiday. The Cuban Revolution, however, was double-fronted."In a taped interview shown in the United states in May, Castro called it a useless waste ofblood. The life of the dictator is of no importance. . . . Here in the Sierra Maestra is where tofight.'"(Suchlicki,170) After the unsuccessful battle of Alegra de Po, Castro and his few followersfled to the Sierra Maestra mountain range. Here Castro healed his wounds, the failed attempts to destroythe military, through support. The peasants who lived in the hills favored Castro easily over Batista.This population provided Castro with supplies and supporters. They also protected them against theBatistan military, traveled to the cities to obtain information, and directed those who wanted to becomerebels to the premier himself, Fidel Castro. After gaining more popularity, Castro bega...
