Let Cuba rebuild

The Revolutionary Communist Group and Rock around the Blockade are calling on all friends and supporters of Cuba to give what they can to help the island rebuild after the devastation of Hurricane Ian.

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On the weekend of the 24th of September, activists from Rock Around the Blockade joined together with organisations from all across the world to stand in solidarity with socialist Cuba against the US blockade. This month the caravana coincided with Cubans voting on the Family Code referendum. Whilst Cubans exercised their democratic power to bring about progressive new legislation surrounding family matters, we stood with them against the blockade which affects their everyday lives.

If you want to get involved in the caravana next month, please get in touch. Here are some photos and videos from around the country:

London RATB protest against HSBC blocking Cuba transactions

First published at www.frfi.org.uk

Rock around the Blockade (RATB), the Revolutionary Communist Group’s campaign in solidarity with socialist Cuba, has joined other groups to launch a new international campaign to challenge the British  and European banks illegally implementing the US blockade against socialist Cuba. Such a campaign is long overdue. 2022 is the 60th anniversary of the blockade, and its extraterritorial application (outside the US) is a violation of international law as well as UK and EU laws. The damage dealt to Cuba’s development and living conditions is clear, with an estimated cost of at least $144bn. The campaign gives people outside the US a practical way to challenge the banks to unblock Cuba. NATHAN WILLIAMS and WILL JONES report.

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Strength and solidarity to Cuba as it battles a devastating oil tanker fire.

Rock around the Rlockade and the Revolutionary Communist Group send solidarity and our deepest sympathies to the Cuban people and their socialist state currently battling to control a devastating fire in a field of oil tankers containing millions of litres of fuel destined for the thermoelectric plant in Matanzas. The disaster started during a thunderstorm on Friday 5 August, after a lightning strike hit a tanker and the fire spread to another tanker causing a series of explosions and a massive fire which continues to rage.

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This month activists from Rock Around the Blockade and the Revolutionary Communist Group/Fight Racism! Fight Imperialism! took to the streets to tell the banks: unblock Cuba! In tandem with the monthly caravana protests being held around the world, supporters picketed British banks which comply with the US blockade of Cuba by blocking transactions relating to Cuba.

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Join Cuba Support Group Ireland, Rock Around the Blockade (Britain), and Cubanismo (Belgium) in our online launch event for the new campaign to challenge British and European banks' compliance with the illegal US blockade of Cuba.

With guest speakers:

Johanna Tablada - General Deputy Director of US affairs at the Cuban Foreign Minister.

Vijay Prashad - Executive Director of the Tricontinental Institute for Social Research and author of 'Washington Bullets'.

Helen Yaffe - Senior Lecturer at the University of Glasgow and author of 'We are Cuba: How a revolutionary people have survived in a Post-Soviet world'.

This month activists from Rock Around the Blockade and the Revolutionary Communist Group/Fight Racism! Fight Imperialism! demonstrated outside of branches of HSBC. The British bank is complying with unilateral US sanctions against Cuba. Imposing US sanctions on UK interests for dealings with Cuba is illegal under UK laws – most notably the 1996 Protection of Trading Interests Act.

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Here are some photos and videos from around the country!

On 5 May Rock Around the Blockade co-hosted a screening of 'Cuba's Life task - combatting climate change' with Fight Racism! Fight Imperialism! North East and the fantastic independent Star and Shadow Cinema

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Star and Shadow: Cuba's Life Task - Combatting Climate Change

Saratoga Hotel (photo: @ConsulCubaUK Twitter)

Rock around the Blockade extends its deepest sympathy to the families of victims in Cuba after an explosion at the Saratoga Hotel in Havana on 6 May, and wishes a speedy recovery to those hospitalised. The Department of Hospital Services of the Ministry of Public Health says that at least 26 people have died and 74 were injured. The emergency response is still underway at the time of writing and more bodies may be recovered.