Report Back: 1st Monthly Picket to End the Blockade on Cuba!
International Days of Action Against the U.S. Blockade on Cuba!
>> We Are United to End the U.S. Blockade on Cuba! <<
~ La versión en español sigue la versión en inglés ~
On Thursday September 17th, 2015, the newly formed group Friends of Cuba Against the U.S. Blockade-Vancouver (FCAB-Van) organized their first monthly protest to end the U.S. blockade in front of the U.S. Consulate. This action was also called to coincide with events taking place in Washington DC, in Toronto and Montreal, Canada as part of an International period of action demanding an immediate end to the U.S. blockade of Cuba.
Although the normalization of diplomatic relations between Cuba and the U.S., with the opening of their respective embassies, have begun, many of the U.S.’s criminal policies against Cuba are still in place for more than 50 years.
Friends of Cuba Against the U.S. Blockade-Vancouver, formerly the Free the Cuban 5 Committee-Vancouver, upon celebrating the victory of the freedom of all 5 Cuban Heroes began to reorganize themselves in a new organization to respond to new challenges in defense of Cuba’s sovereignty and against U.S blockade. With the 10 years of experience through activities in defence of the 5 Cuban Heroes, the group decided alongside many around the world to focus their efforts on ending
the cruel U.S. Blockade.
Dozens of friends of Cuba gathered in front of the U.S. Consulate on Thursday, September 17th in Vancouver chanting loud and clear, “Lift the blockade on Cuba now,” “Cuba Si, Bloqueo No!” Executive committee members of FCAB-Van, Noah Fine and Sarah Alwell welcomed all of the participants and strongly reaffirmed that as long as the cruel blockade imposed by the U.S. government against Cuba exists, the group would return monthly in protest in front of U.S. Consulate in Vancouver. Just as they had done to protest for the freedom of the Cuban 5, FCAB-Van has chosen the 17th of each month as the date marking the beginning of normalization of the two countries and particularly the day
that the Cuban 5 Heroes returned home.
During the protest and in between energetic rounds of picketing, participants heard from a variety of different speakers including: Nino Pagliccia, long time Cuba solidarity activist and editor of the new book “Cuba Solidarity in Canada”, as well as Tamara Hansen, coordinator of Vancouver Communities in Solidarity with Cuba (VCSC) and writer of the book “Five Decades of the Cuban Revolution: The Challenges of an Unwavering Leadership.”
The protest also received greetings from the Friends of Cuba Against the
U.S. Blockade-Toronto who will be organizing a protest against the blockade on Saturday, September 19th as well as a phone greeting from FCAB-Van executive committee members Alison Bodine and Azza Rojbi who are in Washington DC participating in the Days of Action Against the Blockade organized by the International Committee for Peace, Justice and Dignity for the Peoples.
The organizers announced they are coming back for the next monthly protest on Saturday October 17 in front of U.S. Consulate in Vancouver.
Although the normalization of diplomatic relations between Cuba and the U.S., with the opening of their respective embassies, have begun, many of the U.S.’s criminal policies against Cuba are still in place for more than 50 years.
Friends of Cuba Against the U.S. Blockade-Vancouver, formerly the Free the Cuban 5 Committee-Vancouver, upon celebrating the victory of the freedom of all 5 Cuban Heroes began to reorganize themselves in a new organization to respond to new challenges in defense of Cuba’s sovereignty and against U.S blockade. With the 10 years of experience through activities in defence of the 5 Cuban Heroes, the group decided alongside many around the world to focus their efforts on ending
the cruel U.S. Blockade.Dozens of friends of Cuba gathered in front of the U.S. Consulate on Thursday, September 17th in Vancouver chanting loud and clear, “Lift the blockade on Cuba now,” “Cuba Si, Bloqueo No!” Executive committee members of FCAB-Van, Noah Fine and Sarah Alwell welcomed all of the participants and strongly reaffirmed that as long as the cruel blockade imposed by the U.S. government against Cuba exists, the group would return monthly in protest in front of U.S. Consulate in Vancouver. Just as they had done to protest for the freedom of the Cuban 5, FCAB-Van has chosen the 17th of each month as the date marking the beginning of normalization of the two countries and particularly the day
that the Cuban 5 Heroes returned home.During the protest and in between energetic rounds of picketing, participants heard from a variety of different speakers including: Nino Pagliccia, long time Cuba solidarity activist and editor of the new book “Cuba Solidarity in Canada”, as well as Tamara Hansen, coordinator of Vancouver Communities in Solidarity with Cuba (VCSC) and writer of the book “Five Decades of the Cuban Revolution: The Challenges of an Unwavering Leadership.”
The protest also received greetings from the Friends of Cuba Against the
U.S. Blockade-Toronto who will be organizing a protest against the blockade on Saturday, September 19th as well as a phone greeting from FCAB-Van executive committee members Alison Bodine and Azza Rojbi who are in Washington DC participating in the Days of Action Against the Blockade organized by the International Committee for Peace, Justice and Dignity for the Peoples.The organizers announced they are coming back for the next monthly protest on Saturday October 17 in front of U.S. Consulate in Vancouver.
>> ¡Unidos para poner fin al bloqueo EE.UU contra Cuba! <<
El jueves 17 de septiembre 2015, el grupo recién formado “Friends of Cuba Against the U.S. Blockade-Vancouver (FCAB-Van)” (en
español “Amigos de Cuba en contra del bloqueo de Estado unidos-Vancouver”) realizo la primera protesta mensual para poner fin al bloqueo frente a l consulado de los EE.UU. Esta acción fue convocada en coordinación con los eventos realizados en Washington DC, en Toronto y Montreal, Canadá, como parte del periodo internacional para exigir la inmediata eliminación del bloqueo de Estados Unidos en contra de Cuba. A pesar de la normalización de las relaciones diplomáticas entre Cuba y los EE.UU., y la apertura de sus respectivas embajadas, muchas de las políticas criminales de EEUU en contra de Cuba todavía están en vigor por más de 50 años.
“Friends of Cuba Against the U.S. Blockade-Vancouver (FCAB-Van)”, antes “Free the Cuban 5 Committee-Vancouver”, apenas finalizada la celebración de la victoria por la libertad de los 5 Héroes cubanos, comenzaron a reorganizarse en un nuevo grupo que responde a los desafíos vigentes en la defensa de la soberanía Cubana y en contra del bloqueo estadounidense. Con más de 10 años de experiencia a través de actividades en defensa de los 5 Héroes cubanos, el grupo decidió al igual que otros tantos alrededor del mundo centrar sus esfuerzos en poner fin al cruel bloqueo de Estados Unidos.
El pasado jueves 17 de septiembre en Vancouver, docenas de amigos de Cuba se reunieron frente al consulado de los EE.UU. para cantar
con voz fuerte y clara, “Fin al bloqueo contra Cuba ya”, “Cuba Sí, Bloqueo ¡No!”. Los miembros del Comité Ejecutivo de “ FCAB-Van”, Noah Fine y Sarah Alwell dieron la bienvenida a todos los participantes y enérgicamente reafirmaron que mientras el cruel bloqueo impuesto por el gobierno de EE.UU. en contra de Cuba exista, el grupo volverá cada mes en protesta frente al Consulado de Estados Unidos en Vancouver. Tal como lo habían hecho anteriormente en protesta por la libertad de los 5 Cubanos, FCAB-Van ha elegido el día 17 de cada mes, al ser el día que marcó el comienzo de la normalización de las relaciones entre los dos países y el día 17 particularmente ya que es el día en que los 5 Héroes cubanos regresaron a casa.Durante la protesta y en medio de enérgicas rondas de piquetes, los participantes escucharon una variedad de oradores, entre ellos: Nino Pagliccia, activista de solidaridad con Cuba por mucho tiempo y editor
del nuevo libro “Solidaridad con Cuba en Canadá”, así como también Tamara Hansen, coordinadora de Comunidades de Vancouver en Solidaridad con Cuba (VCSC) y escritora del libro “Cinco décadas de la Revolución cubana: Los retos del liderazgo inquebrantable años”.La protesta recibió saludos de los “Amigos de Cuba contra el bloqueo de Estados Unidos” en Toronto, quiénes organizaran una protesta contra el bloqueo el Sábado 19 de septiembre, recibieron también una llamada telefónica de saludo de los miembros del comité ejecutivo de FCAB-Van Alison Bodine y Azza Rojbi quienes se encontraban participando en los Días de Acción contra el bloqueo,
organizado por el “Comité Internacional por la Paz, la Justicia y la Dignidad de los Pueblos” en Washington DC.Los organizadores informaron su regreso para la próxima protesta mensual, el sábado 17 de octubre en frente del consulado de Estados Unidos en Vancouver.
