Activists gathered in St. Peter's Square on October 28 to demonstrate against an ongoing fuel blockade targeting Cuba, coinciding with a United Nations vote condemning the United States embargo on the island nation, as The Mancunion reported. The public demonstration was organized by Fight Racism Fight Imperialism Manchester, an activist group and newspaper connected to the Revolutionary Communist Group, and featured a series of speeches delivered by various activists.
During the gathering in the square, activists positioned themselves in front of a demonstration stall that displayed Cuban flags alongside Palestinian and transgender flags. An opening speech provided historical context regarding the United States government maintaining its blockade on Cuba despite repeated votes by the United Nations to condemn the economic measures over past years. Following the introductory remarks, demonstrators engaged in collective chants of “Viva viva, Cuba socialista!” and “hands off Cuba, end the blockade.”
An activist representing the group Young Struggle addressed those present in the square to emphasize Cuba's fundamental right to self-determination. The speaker characterized the long-standing embargo, which has spanned 67 years, as a form of economic warfare against the country. The specific blockade currently affecting the nation has been enforced since January 2026 and remained active as of October 29. This measure specifically targets the import of petroleum into Cuba and represents part of a broader series of blockades and economic sanctions initiated by the United States government starting in 1956. News reporting from Al Jazeera has documented that the blockade has resulted in widespread energy blackouts and severe food shortages throughout Cuba.
International concern regarding the impact of the sanctions was also highlighted in June by United Nations human rights chief Volker Turk. Turk called for an immediate cessation of the sanctions, issuing a stark warning that children are dying because medical professionals lack access to vital medicines and essential medical supplies.
In an interview regarding the demonstration and its broader aims, Fight Racism Fight Imperialism Cuba correspondent Destiny Sanchez told the publication about the relationship between political struggles, Britain's role in the embargo, and the involvement of student activists. Sanchez described Cuba and Palestine as two nations engaged in a common struggle against imperialism, asserting that the fight for Cuba cannot be viewed in isolation from the fight for Palestine.
Sanchez and other speakers at the event highlighted the role of British financial institutions in sustaining the embargo, pointing to their blocking of financial transactions directed toward Cuba. Reporting by The Guardian in 2008 previously indicated that major British institutions—including Lloyds TSB, Barclays Bank, the Royal Bank of Scotland, and HSBC—were refusing to process transactions involving Cuba in order to comply with the embargo. While those specific institutional practices have not been confirmed since that time, the group Rock Around the Blockade reported in 2023 that banks in the United Kingdom were continuing to block transactions related to Cuba. Under United Kingdom law, it is illegal for domestic banks to explicitly enforce United States sanctions; however, the British government acknowledges that financial institutions frequently find themselves caught between conflicting legal requirements.
Sanchez further emphasized the need for student activists and other campaign groups to expand their agitation around the Cuban blockade. Referencing historical remarks by Fidel Castro in the Second Declaration of Havana regarding the goal of every revolutionary being to create a revolution, Sanchez told the outlet that students attempting to build a revolutionary movement must extend their support to Cuba.