HAVANA, Jan. 27 (Xinhua) -- Cuban President Raul Castro led a "March of Torches" on Saturday night along with thousands of young students to remember the island's national hero Jose Marti as well as late revolution leader Fidel Castro.

At the steps of Havana University, over 35,000 young students gathered and carried their torches to remember Marti, a tradition started 65 years ago.

University students all over the country lit their torches and marched through the most important streets across the nation to remember the hero of independence.

In a brief speech, Raul Palmero, president of the Cuban University Student Federation, said the younger generations shoulder the mandate of safeguarding the nation's socialist path.

Thousands of students also held Cuban flags and pictures of Fidel Castro who passed away in November 2016.

"This is Fidel's Revolution because he taught us to carry on this tradition and the new generations will do so because his legacy is still amongst us," he said.

Along the route Cuban students expressed their commitment to Marti's and Fidel's ideals in upholding a socialist society.

"We came here to express our support to the revolution and president Raul. The youth will continue the path that Marti and Fidel started," Frank Verdecia, a telecommunications student told Xinhua.

Another student from the University of Havana, Beatriz Leon, said she participated in the march because it's a way to express their patriotism and loyalty to the ideals of the Cuban national hero.

"Marti was the leader of our independence and his ideals pushed Fidel to start the revolution. We're here to continue with their principles and show our support to the revolution," she said.

The first "March of the Torches" was held on Jan. 27, 1953 and on that day thousands of students led by Fidel Castro protested against Fulgencio Batista's dictatorship on Marti's 100th anniversary.

Six years later, Fidel Castro led a guerrilla army that toppled Batista and started the Cuban revolution.