Above Photo: New York City / Erin Feely Nahem.
Large demonstrations on the east and west coasts of the US took place yesterday calling for the end of the Blockade of Cuba as the annual vote in the General Assembly of the UN approaches this week. This will mark the 30th occasion when the overwhelming majority of countries of the world will stand up together in solidarity with the people of Cuba in their defiant struggle and dignified struggle against US imperialism.
New York
In New York over 200 people marched from Times Square, across busy 42nd Street, to the US-UN office on 1st Avenue demanding that Cuba be taken off Washington’s list of state sponsors of terrorism, a measure designed to suffocate every aspect of Cuba’s ability to access the world market, to end all trade and travel restrictions and to end the over 62-year-old illegal blockade of the island. The march was led by a contingent of 20 Cuban-Americans who traveled from Miami for the protest.
Milagros Rivera traveling from her besieged island spoke representing the Puerto Rican Committee in Solidarity with Cuba at the NY rally. The FBI recently harassed Rivera and members of her group for traveling to Cuba to deliver humanitarian aid.
Los Angeles
According to Cuba News around 150 people protested in front of the Westwood Federal Building on Wilshire Boulevard in Los Angeles, the event had broad representation and was organized by the Los Angeles Hands off Cuba Committee. The protest also demanded that Biden overturn the 243 sanctions slapped on Cuba by the Trump Administration, something he could do with a stroke of the pen.
Many other US cities also held protests including Brunswick, Maine, Portland, Oregon, Duluth, Minnesota, and Laurel, Maryland.
This week more than 20 demonstrations will be taking place across the US to coincide with the vote in the UN to find the complete list with times and locations of the solidarity activities go to the web page of the National Network on Cuba.
In San Francisco the demonstration will take place on Thursday, November 3, at 4:30 pm at the Federal Building at Seventh and Mission followed by a march to UN Plaza. The event is being sponsored by the Bay Area Saving Lives, Answer Coalition, Code Pink, Venceremos Brigade, DSA, and Task Force on the Americas and endorsed by a number of other Bay Area organizations