HSBC protest

Supporters of Rock Around the Blockade held protests across the country this week in solidarity with Cuba and Palestine, marking the anniversary of the 26th July Moncada attack.

The activists emphasised the connection between the anti imperialist struggles in Cuba and Palestine, and the attacks that both of these causes face from countries like Britain and their institutions.

Here is a roundup of actions from around the country:

Let Cuba Speak!

On Sunday, July 7, the international #1c4Cuba campaign has called a webinar to show solidarity with the news outlets Cubainformacion and Euskadi Cuba, who have been persecuted for reporting the truth about the blockade of Cuba. Cuba Informacion and the Euskadi-Cuba Association are under attack for reporting on counter-revolutionary groups slandering Cuba’s medical solidarity brigades.

Join us for an important display of solidarity with these outlets and to hear from the following guests:

  • Jose Manzaneda – editor of Cubainformacion
  • Milagros Acea – Basque based Cuba organisation ‘Desembarco del Granma’
  • A speaker from Euskadi Cuba, which until 2020 hosted Cubainformacion

To register and join the webinar, click here.

Sunday July 7, 10:30am (Vancouver/Pacific) / 1:30 pm (Havana/Eastern) / 6:30 pm (London)

 

Cuba Informacion 12.06.24
Cubainformacion - Artículo: Denuncian plan para destruir la cooperación vasca con Cuba

Imagine that an association of migrants from a country in the Global South is dedicated to questioning and trying to prevent a Basque city council from financially supporting vulnerable groups in their country of origin.

Their actions would be described as, at the very least, miserable. This is what the so-called Cuban-Basque Association Demokrazia Kubarentzat (democracy for Cuba, in Basque country) has just done in the town hall of Durango (Bizkaia), this association is made up of “anti-Castro” Cuban men and women residing in the Basque Country.  The Durango council had approved a donation of 19,000 euros for a cooperation project coordinated by Euskal Fondoa (a grouping of local Basque entities, which brings together 121 municipalities) for “Comprehensive Care for the Elderly in Havana” (1). The councillor of the Popular Party, Carlos García, expressed in the municipal plenary session, the “concern” of the aforementioned Cuban-Basque Association Demokrazia Kubarentzat, to ensure “the money… does not fall into the hands of the Cuban dictatorial regime” (2), and demanded the council “clarify the purpose and management” of the subsidy “by the Cuban dictatorship” (3).

109711 denuncian plan para destruir la cooperacion vasca con cuba

On Wednesday 8 May 2024 Rock Around the Blockade hosted an international online meeting, drawing out the connections between the struggles for self-determination against imperialism in Palestine, Cuba and Venezuela.
The meeting was attended by over 100 people connecting from across the globe, including student activists from the Palestine Solidarity encampment in Manchester, who made a contribution to the meeting:

WhatsApp Image 2024 02 28 at 22.32.52 752x440

Reposted from 1c4cuba.eu:

Join us on 14 Apr for an important online meeting reporting back from the International Tribunal Against the U.S. Blockade of Cuba, held at the EU Parliament in November 2023.


We will hear from:
Antonio Segura, Member of the Prosecutors team of the International Court. Madrid Bar Association
A representative from MediCuba Europa – NGO network collecting medical donations for Cuba and gave evidence at the tribunal
David Rodriguez, Coordinator of the Legal Commission of the International Court
Brenda Lopez, LA Hands off Cuba and a witness at the tribunal
Simon McGuinness – National coordinator of Cuba Support Group Ireland, speaking on behalf of the 1 cent 4 Cuba campaign.


The event will feature videos, speakers and discussion – En inglés y español in English & Spanish. The meeting starts at 18:30 London time, 19:30 Madrid time, 13:30 Havana time.
Register to secure your place now! http://tinyurl.com/EUtribunal

 

On 15 March 2024, supporters of RATB protested outside the offices of London resident and DCD Rights’ Head of IT Mickael Behn against his $440m lawsuit targeting cruise ship companies previously involved in tourism to Cuba. After lobbying US politicians, both Democrat and Republican, Behn convinced a US district court judge in Miami to recognise his claim to his grandfather’s shares in the so-called Havana Docks Company.


This Delaware based company held a lease to operate three docks in Havana before the Cuban Revolution; this lease expired in 2004. RATB calls on Mickael Behn to drop the claim; we say no economic war on Cuba!

Protest outside Behn's office

Santiago

Beatriz Johnson Urrutia, first secretary of the PCC committee in Santiago de Cuba, meets with the protesters: "We attended a group of people around the Antonio Maceo District of #SantiagoDeCuba, dissatisfied with the electricity supply and food distribution, we are part of the people, integrated and facing the genocidal blockade" -  via Twitter

Below we republish a statement on the recent protests in Santiago de Cuba from the Cuban Institute of Friendship with the Peoples (ICAP):

IMG 3175

The RATB brigade embarked on a visit to the agroecological community project known as ‘Granjita Feliz’ (‘Happy little farm’) in Guanabacoa, Cuba. During this enlightening experience, the brigade had the opportunity to meet with representatives from the environment ministry, who shed light on Tarea Vida (‘Life Task’), the Cuban government’s ambitious 100-year plan to combat the adverse effects of climate change. The brigade also had the privilege of viewing an art exhibition and talent show prepared by local residents and students with special educational needs who participate in the Granjita Feliz project.

Visita al Centro de Ingeniería Genética y Biotecnología 17545422613

Even in the context of extreme economic crisis due to the blockade, Cuba continues to advance its life-saving medicines and technologies. Our brigade met with Manuel Raices from the Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, who explained how Cuba’s approach to medicine and biotechnology has prevented over 20,000 diabetic-related amputations and treated over 120,000 Cubans using groundbreaking Cuban biological technology Heberprot-P.