The, composed of more than 40 vessels loaded with medicines and food to Gaza, has been intercepted by Israel when it was about 60 nautical miles from the coast of the Palestinian enclave. The assault, which for now has resulted in the approach of At least six ships and dozens of detained activists (including the Swedish Greta Thunberg and la), has had an immediate response in European streets, with spontaneous protests in capitals such as Brussels or Barcelona and the call for a general strike in Italy. Everything, while the leaders of the European Union avoid ruling on the performance of the Netanyahu government.
The organizers of the Humanitarian Expedition have denounced on Wednesday, that the Israel Army have “deliberately rammed” the ship Florida And he has shot with water cannons against other flotilla vessels, such as the Yulara or the Meteque. In a statement released on Telegram, activists have stressed that all passengers are unharmed, but They have described the interception of “war crime” for having produced against unarmed ships in international waters.
Israel, on the other hand, has tried to lower the tension and clean its image with the dissemination of images on social networks in which Greta Thunberg is seen, on the deck of a boat of the flotilla by Gaza, surrounded by soldiers that treat her carefully, accompanied by a note: “Greta and her friends are healthy and wild.” Meanwhile, from Spain, the commons have published an Ada Colau video in which it asked for “making the maximum possible noise” in case their detention occurs, to pressure European governments to proceed to their release. Meanwhile, the Foreign Ministry tries to confirm whether the more than fifty Spanish citizens traveling on board are also detained.
Spontaneous protest in Barcelona
One of the first citizen protests to the assault of the flotilla that have been seen in Spain and in Europe has occurred in Barcelona, with hundreds of people who have concentrated in front of the Israel Consulate in the Catalan capital. The protesters cut in both directions the Round of the MIG, paralyzing traffic in one of the city’s arteries, and launched eggs against the building, guarded by the mobile brigade of the Mossos d’Esquadra. The concentration, arising without prior call, ended in police charges when some groups tried to move towards the consulate.
The indignation for the has also moved to the streets of Madrid, where dozens of people have gathered spontaneously in the Plaza de Jacinto Benavente, very close to the Foreign Ministry. Among many slogans and the shout of “Gaza Bidy, Madrid gets up”, attendees have claimed the immediate release of detained activists and the end of the Israeli block over the strip.
These improvised mobilizations will be followed tomorrow other demonstrations that have already been summoned in several Spanish cities. In Barcelona, the appointment will be this Thursday in the Plaza de la Carbonera, at 6:00 p.m. In Valencia it will be in the town hall square, at 7:00 p.m. In Pamplona it will be at 18:30 in the Plaza de Las Merindades and in Madrid, at seven in the afternoon, in front of the Foreign Ministry, with a later march through the center of the Spanish capital. The posters that have already begun to move through social networks, summarized it in an unequivocal motto: “They have assaulted the flotilla. All to the street!”
Italy responds with manifestations and general strike
Thousands of people protest in Rome and other cities for the interception of the flotilla
Thousands of people demonstrated on Wednesday in Rome and other Italian cities after confirming Israel’s assault on the flotilla. In the Italian capital, some 10,000 people concentrated in the vicinity of the Termini station to march towards the Chigi Palace, headquarters of the Government, guarded by a strong police deployment. The protest was repeated in Naples, where they broke into the train station; in Milan, with concentrations in the urban center; and in Turin, where they tried to occupy the Palazzo Nuovo.
The largest Italian union, the Italian General Work Confederation, has convened a general strike for this Friday in protest for “aggression against civilians transported Italian citizens.” “It is a crime against defenseless people and it is serious that the Italian government has abandoned its workers in international waters,” denounced the union center. The base union union was added immediately, calling an “immediate mobilization” and ensuring that “Israel attacks international law. It is time to block everything.”
The Italian government, through its vice -first Minister Matteo Salvini, has assured that he will study the formula to prohibit a general strike that “does not fit the cases that would justify it.” In addition, the ultra -rightist has described the unions as “irresponsible” for “inciting protests in the streets and harming the Italians”, while accused of the flotilla of having opted for the “provocation.”
But there are more protests in Europe. In Brussels, hundreds of people have concentrated with banners and Palestinian flags in the Plaza de la Bolsa, from where they have marched to the Foreign Ministry. The same has happened in Berlin, where the protests have been summoned in front of the central station. In Athens, they have also met in front of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. All protests, with a common denominator: the denunciation of the inaction of the European Union against Israel’s performance.
The silence of the European Union
While the European streets were filled with Palestine flags, in Copenhagen community leaders opted for silence. In the press conference after the informal summit of the twenty -seven, where they have outlined a common “anti -Diddle” system to intercept the growing threats of that type that arrive from Moscow, both the president of the European Council, António Costa, and the president of the commission, Ursula von der Leyen, have avoided assessing Israel’s assault to the flotilla by Gaza.
Before the repeated question of a journalist about whether they considered the performance of the Netanyahu government, Costa limited himself to answering: “I’m sorry, but during the Council I have not received any information, so I cannot comment at this time.” For his part, von der Leyen has settled the questions with a brief: “The same for my part.” The appearance, in which the Danish Prime Minister, Mette Frederiksen also participated, which has not been pronounced either, has been held hours after the approach of the Soul, Adara and Sirius ships would have been confirmed.
As contrast to that mutism, the Spanish government has publicly claimed respect for the more than fifty national citizens traveling in the flotilla. The Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares, has assured in a message of ‘X’ that both his physical integrity and his rights “must be respected” and explained that the embassy in Tel Aviv and consulates in Jerusalem and Nicosia have mobilized to provide the corresponding diplomatic and consular protection. Hours before, the president of the Spanish Government, Pedro Sánchez, recalled that the humanitarian mission “does not represent a threat to Israel”, trusting that the Netanyahu executive does not represent her “for those who travel on board” of the almost 40 vessels of the flotilla.
