Protests Worldwide Condemn Israeli Interception Of Gaza Flotilla

Protesters across the globe on Thursday condemned Israel’s interception of an aid flotilla bound for Gaza, demanding stronger sanctions in response.

From Europe to South America, Australia to North Africa, demonstrators denounced Israel’s treatment of the Global Sumud Flotilla, which left Barcelona last month to challenge the blockade of Gaza, where the UN warns of famine after nearly two years of war.

Israeli forces halted 41 ships carrying more than 400 people, including politicians and climate activist Greta Thunberg, preventing them from reaching the coastal enclave, an Israeli official confirmed.

In Barcelona, some 15,000 people marched against the interception, chanting “Gaza, you are not alone,” “Boycott Israel,” and “Freedom for Palestine.” Riot police clashed with part of the crowd attempting to break through barriers. Among those blocked was a boat carrying former Barcelona mayor Ada Colau and South African politician Mandla Mandela, both now facing deportation from Israel.

Similar protests erupted worldwide: hundreds gathered outside Ireland’s parliament in Dublin, where one mother voiced pride and fear for her daughter sailing with the flotilla; thousands filled Paris’s Place de la République and Italy’s major cities, with unions there calling a general strike in solidarity.

In Istanbul, protesters marched on the Israeli embassy demanding a “total embargo” and release of detained activists. Brussels saw 3,000 demonstrators at the European Parliament, urging the EU to “break the siege” and cut funding to Israel. Geneva, Athens, Berlin, The Hague, Tunis, Brasilia, and Buenos Aires also witnessed mass rallies, many clashing with riot police.

Activists branded Israel an “apartheid state,” accusing it of blocking even humanitarian aid. In Kuala Lumpur, protesters gathered at the U.S. embassy, with one demonstrator saying: “They are just bringing aid and baby food. This arrest is unjust.”