Havana, Cuba - December 20, 2024 Around 700,000 people marched outside the U.S. Embassy in Havana on Friday, demanding an end to Washington's decades-long blockade of Cuba and calling for the island's removal from the U.S. State Department's list of state sponsors of terrorism. Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel led the march and delivered a speech at the rally, condemning the U.S. blockade of Cuba, which has lasted over 60 years, and criticizing the U.S. government for continuing to classify Cuba as a terrorist state despite publicly acknowledgment that there is no justification for keeping it on the list. "The U.S. government can not classify Cuba as a terrorist state. The current government of that country knows this well. This was acknowledged by Secretary of State Anthony Blinken in May, when he declared to the media that there is no justification for Cuba to remain on that list. They acknowledge it but do not act," said the president. After the speech, the crowd, waving Cuban flags and chanting slogans like "Down with the Blockade," demanded an end to the blockade and respect for Cuba's national sovereignty. "The thing is that it is the Cuban people who are being killed. That is what is happening. That is why there is this claim. That is why so many people are making this claim. If there were no blockade, we could achieve a million things. We would have many things. Salaries would be good, the economy would be good, and everything would be good," said a protester. This march marked the first major protest in years outside the U.S. diplomatic mission to denounce the blockade. SHOTLIST: Havana, Cuba - Dec 20, 2024 1. U.S. Embassy in Havana; 2. Various of protest in progress, protesters holding Cuban flags; 3. Various of Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel walking with protesters; 4. Diaz-Canel delivering speech; 5. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Miguel Diaz-Canel, Cuban President: "The U.S. government can not classify Cuba as a terrorist state. The current government of that country knows this well. This was acknowledged by Secretary of State Anthony Blinken in May, when he declared to the media that there is no justification for Cuba to remain on that list. They acknowledge it but do not act."; 6. Various of protest in progress; 7. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) protester (name not given) (partially overlaid with shot 8): "The thing is that it is the Cuban people who are being killed. That is what is happening. That is why there is this claim. That is why so many people are making this claim. If there were no blockade, we could achieve a million things. We would have many things. Salaries would be good, the economy would be good, and everything would be good."; [SHOT OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE] 8. Protest in progress; [SHOT OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE] 9. Various of protest in progress. [Restrictions: No access Chinese mainland]