TEHRAN Thousands of Puerto Rican nationals staged a demonstration in New York this week. The demonstration was held in support of imprisoned Puerto Rican independence-fighters and in protest against the U.S. military presence on the Vieques Island.

The demonstrators called for the restoration of peace and calm to Puerto Rico and demanded that the United States should withdraw its military forces from the island as soon as possible.

Some U.S. citizens also took part in the demonstration, which was the biggest rally against the U.S. military presence in Puerto Rico in the past half a century.