Protests broke out across the globe on Thursday as activists condemned Israel’s interception of a flotilla carrying aid to Gaza. Demonstrators demanded stronger action against Israel.
The Global Sumud Flotilla had left Barcelona last month to challenge Israel’s blockade of Gaza, where the United Nations reports famine conditions after nearly two years of war. In total, forty-one ships with over 400 people aboard—including politicians and climate activist Greta Thunberg—were stopped by the Israeli navy on Wednesday. Consequently, they were prevented from reaching Gaza, according to an Israeli official.
Protests in Spain
Meanwhile, around 15,000 people marched through Barcelona. They chanted slogans such as “Gaza, you are not alone,” “Boycott Israel,” and “Freedom for Palestine,” according to the municipal police.
However, riot police used truncheons to push back protesters who tried to climb barriers. Spanish public television broadcast images showing them retreating.
Additionally, a boat carrying former Barcelona mayor Ada Colau was blocked. Colau and activists, including Nelson Mandela’s grandson Mandla Mandela, now face deportation by Israel.
Demonstrations across Europe
In Dublin, several hundred protesters gathered outside the Irish parliament. Many compared the Palestinian cause to Ireland’s historical struggle against British colonial rule.
Miriam McNally, whose daughter joined the flotilla, spoke at the demonstration. She said, “I am worried sick for my daughter, but I am so proud of her and of what she’s doing. She is standing up for humanity in the face of grave danger.”
Meanwhile, in Paris, about 1,000 people marched at Place de la République. In Marseille, police arrested roughly 100 protesters after they tried to block the offices of weapons maker Eurolinks, accused of selling military components to Israel.
Protests also took place in Berlin, The Hague, Tunis, Brasilia, and Buenos Aires.
Large protests in Italy and Turkey
In Italy, major unions called a general strike on Friday in solidarity with the flotilla. Consequently, thousands took to the streets, urging Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni to defend the activists. Police reported 10,000 people joined the march in Rome, while other demonstrations occurred in Milan, Torino, Florence, and Bologna.
The day after a similar demonstration, protesters gathered near the Colosseum. They criticized the far-right prime minister, chanting, “We are prepared to block everything. The genocidal machine must stop immediately.”
Meanwhile, in Turkey, demonstrators marched to the Israeli embassy in Istanbul, carrying banners calling for a “Total embargo on the occupation.”
Elif Bozkurt, 21, told AFPTV, “We demand the release of all members of the Sumud fleet and all prisoners. As university students, we demand that all academic and economic ties with the genocidal Israeli state be terminated at our universities.”
Protests in Brussels, Geneva, and Athens
Around 3,000 demonstrators gathered outside the European Parliament in Brussels. Smoke bombs and crackers were set off, and a banner urged the EU to “break the siege.”
A protester named Isis told AFPTV, “The message is that each boat must be protected.” She added that the EU should halt “astronomical sums of money sent to Israel.”
In Geneva, young protesters lit a bonfire near the central station. They then marched to Mont Blanc bridge, where police in riot gear pushed them back after brief clashes.
Meanwhile, in Athens, protesters set off fireworks and flares. Petros Konstantinou, coordinator of Greece’s KEERFA group, said, “The attack against the flotilla Sumud, it was a barbaric escalation from the Israeli apartheid state. They don’t want to even open a passage for humanitarian help to Gaza.”
Protests in Malaysia
Finally, in Kuala Lumpur, dozens rallied in front of the U.S. embassy, Israel’s key ally.
Ili Farhan, 43, told AFP, “We are very upset… Upset, angry, disgusted because what they are doing is for humanity. They are just bringing in aid and baby food… This arrest is unjust.”