Global protests erupt over Israeli interception of Gaza aid flotilla

Worldwide protests person erupted pursuing Israel’s interception of the Global Sumud Flotilla carrying humanitarian assistance to Gaza, with demonstrators demanding stronger sanctions against Israel.

Across continents from Europe to Australia and South America, crowds gathered connected Thursday to protestation against the Israeli navy’s blockade of 41 ships carrying astatine slightest 400 people, including salient figures similar clime activistic Greta Thunberg and politicians, who were attempting to scope Gaza, wherever the UN has reported famine conditions aft astir 2 years of Israel’s genocidal war.

In Barcelona, astir 15,000 demonstrators marched, chanting “Gaza, you are not alone,” “Boycott Israel,” and “Freedom for Palestine”. Spanish tv showed riot constabulary forcibly repelling protesters who attempted to breach barriers. Former Barcelona politician Ada Colau was among those intercepted astatine oversea and present faces deportation on with chap activists, including Nelson Mandela’s grandson, “Mandla” Mandela.

Several 100 protesters besides gathered extracurricular Ireland’s parliament successful Dublin, wherever Palestinian solidarity is often linked to Ireland’s humanities conflict against British colonialism. Miriam McNally, whose girl joined the flotilla, told AFP: “I americium disquieted sick for my daughter, but I americium truthful arrogant of her and of what she’s doing. She is lasting up for humanity successful the look of sedate danger.”

Paris saw astir 1,000 protesters astatine Place de la Republique, portion successful Marseille, astir 100 demonstrators were arrested aft attempting to artifact entree to Eurolinks, a weapons shaper accused of selling subject components to Israel.

In Italy, wherever large unions person called for a Friday wide onslaught successful solidarity with the flotilla, demonstrations dispersed crossed large cities. Rome unsocial saw 10,000 participants, according to police, with protesters chanting: “We are prepared to artifact everything. The genocidal instrumentality indispensable halt immediately.”

Additional protests occurred successful Berlin, The Hague, Tunis, Brasilia, Buenos Aires, Sydney, and Istanbul, wherever demonstrators marched to the Israeli embassy with banners calling for a “Total embargo connected the occupation”. In Brussels, astir 3,000 radical gathered extracurricular the European Parliament, urging the EU to “break the siege” amid fume bombs and firecrackers.