By Steve Wilkinson
AN estimated 15,000 people took part in the second annual Cuba Lives Fiesta held on Sunday July 20th. in a park in the north London.
The Fiesta, organised by the Cuba Solidarity Campaign with help from the health workers' union UNISON and the Labour controlled Islington Council was the largest pro-Cuba event held in Britain since the Missile crisis of 1962.
The crowds danced and sang to the sounds of Los Charangueros, an Havana Charanga band making a tour of the UK.
Huge banners saying VIVA CUBA graced the staged and the band played under a giant Cuban flag and huge banner bearing the face of Che Guevara.
The Fiesta, held in Highbury Fields, Islington, was also the send-off celebration for three containers of material aid collected by the CSC from all over the country.
The containers arrived in Havana in August with their cargo of computers, medicines, clothes and educational materials estimated to be worth over £300,000.
The crowds heard Labour MPs Jeremy Corbyn and George Galloway, the Mayor of Islington and representatives of the Firemen's Union and UNISON give speeches about the blockade cried 'Yanqui No!' in response to the calls of 'Cuba Si!.'
A petition calling on the new Labour government to continue the Conservative party's policy of opposing the Helms Burton Law was also circulated.
CSC National organiser Rob Miller who was responsible for the tremendous success said: "I was astounded by the numbers of people who came. From the way they cheered the speakers from the stage I'd say that more than half came because they wanted to show support for Cuba and not just to have a nice day in the sun. This is great news for the Campaign and great news for Cuba. I just hope people in Cuba get to know about this."