The interception of boats of the Global Sumud Flotilla and the arrest of hundreds of activists since Wednesday night has been answered in several cities of Europawhere more rejection mobilizations are also planned on Thursday. Italia It is, by far, the country that is registering more protests.
“Let’s block Italy”. This has been the main slogan of the activists of the Global Movement Sumud, which already during the night from Wednesday to Thursday have managed to mobilize thousands of people against the Israeli assault on the flotilla in various Italian cities; mobilizations that, as planned, will be repeated this Thursday and, above all, on Friday, with a General strike. The protesters have thus fulfilled their threat to the government of Giorgia Melonithat in recent weeks he faces a growing awakening of Citizen rage for its balancer posture before the Israel War Against the Palestinian population.
“WE ARE ALL ANTISIONISTAS!”, “Enough of genocide!” y “¡Free Palestine! “They were some of the slogans chanted in Rome, where barely An hour later to spread the call, thousands of people They marched around the Termini Railway Station, with the intention of reaching the headquarters of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers. Something that was prevented by the forces of the order after a tense negotiation with the protesters, who still managed to paralyze during hours various streets of this area of the city center, which led to in circulatory chaos in the affected area.
A protester tries to speak with riot agents, in the protest last night in Rome against the approach of the flotilla. / Cecilia Fabiano / LaPresse / AP
In other cities of the north and south of the country have also occurred crowded manifestations during the first night of mobilizations. In Naples, Pisa, Milan y Turinfor example, tens of thousands of protesters – many university– The train stationsin some cases interrupting the circulation. In Genoa y Livornostudents and workers convened protests in schools and in the port itself, some of which continued this Thursday. While in the southern Bari It was a group of Councilors from the left who occupied the City hall of the city.
Paralyze Italy
Protesters, who now also have main support union of the country, the CGIL —In addition to other minority guilds – they have announced that their protest will go in the growingfacing Friday, when one is convened General strike in which the request is that All workers of the private and public sector suspend their activities And so The country is paralyzed. “The aggression against ships that transport Italian citizens and citizens represents a fact of extreme gravity. It is serious that the government has abandoned them,” said the secretary general of the CGIL, Maurizio Landini.
The Minister of Infrastructure, Matteo Salviniit has been The hardest to react Against the protest and has announced that you are evaluating the call for Friday premiuman exceptional measure provided by the Italian law consisting of a formal order back to work. In any case, there will not end the protests. In fact, these mobilizations are expected to join Another proper manifestationnational and convened for a long time, which will take place he Saturday.
Meanwhile, the interception by the forces Israelis at least two Italian parliamentarians that were aboard the Global Sumud flotilla. This is the senator Marco Croattiof the 5 stars movement (M5s), And the MEP Benedetta Scuderiof the party Green and Left Alliance (AVS). With this, according to the Italian Foreign Ministry, it would already be 22 Italians captured by Israel.
This Wednesday the arrest of the Global Sumud flotilla by the Israeli army was followed by thousands of people in streaming around the world. Among the members of the flotilla, is the French deputy Rima Hassan or the activist, Isaline Choury.
Concentration in Paris
As soon as the news of Israel’s intervention was known, the call to concentrate on the Plaza de la República de Paris did not stop running through the networks. Minutes later dozens of people gathered at the scene to “demand the immediate and unconditional liberation of all flotilla participants.”
The improvised call on Wednesday night failed to fill the historic Plaza de Paris. It is expected that throughout this Thursday different protest actions will be carried out, among which is a demonstration in front of the Israel Embassy And another concentration at 18.30 in the Plaza de la República, a place that has already become part of the struggle for the freedom of the Palestinian people, reports Leticia Fuentes.
‘Spontaneous’ actions in Germany
The first news of the Israeli action against several ships of the flotilla followed the first calls in social networks to express the “solidarity” with Palestine and the protest against Israel at any station of Germany. The main reaction was recorded in Berlin, where the initial 40 protesters were passed in a matter of one hour to 150 and finally 300, according to police figures. The first police intervention, around 21.30, was to try to move the concentrates from inside the Central Stationthe HauptBanhof, to the outer esplanade. From there the incidents and some bottle occurred in the direction of the agents, who had deployed a notable operation throughout the enclosure. The situation did not climb, but the concentrates terminated their action around 23.00. For this Thursday, the eve of holidays in Germany since tomorrow is the national holiday for the day of the unit, there are summoned ‘spontaneous’ actions Throughout the country late in the afternoon, he reports Gemma Casadevall.
Street pressure on the government of Friedrich Merzdefender of the almost closed support to Israel for the “historical responsibility” of current Germany after the Holocaust. Last Saturday, Berlin lived a massive demonstration, with between 60,000 and 100,000 protesters, many of them with banners against Germany’s “complicity” with the “Israeli genocide” in Gaza.
Of the Nordic warnings to Polish skepticism
“We are in contact with the Israeli authorities and We trust that the safety of those arrested is guaranteed“, warned of the Finnish Foreign Ministry, through social networks, in reference to the citizens of this Nordic country integrated into the flotilla. In similar terms sources of exteriors were pronounced in the Netherlands, after knowing that several activists of their ‘Mohammad Bhar’ delegation had been arrested.
Very different was the tone used by Polandcountry whose government has shown its disagreement with the presence of its activists in the flotilla without too much cap. “We follow the situation. No one has been injured. They are safe,” said an exterior spokesman. The foreign minister himself, Radoslaw Sikorski, had launched a hard warning before War areaperhaps we should consider if the State must run with the evacuation expenses“.
Pressure on the government in Belgium
Also in Belgium Citizens have taken to the streets to protest the assault on the flotilla. According to several local media, hundreds of people concentrated at dawn in front of the headquarters of the Ministry of Foreign Beatriz Ríos.
The protests will continue throughout this Thursday. Several organizations have convened concentrations again in front of exteriors, in addition to Lieja, Gante, Lovaina La Nueva or Namur with the objective of Increase pressure on the Belgian Executivedeeply divided On Gaza.
At least three Belgian citizens are aboard the flotilla. Federal Government Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot said at parliamentary headquarters last Wednesday they were “putting your life at risk“, adding that it was their duty to alert them,” although perhaps it is not what they want to hear. “A few words that have raised a lot of controversy.
“This is an illegal kidnapping of Belgian citizens by a state, Mr. Prévot,” the Belgian Eurodiputada of the Greens Saskia Bricmont responded in a social networks. “Are you not saying what we want to hear? Indeed,” Bricmont insisted, “we want protection, the sending of humanitarian aid, a firm sentence of Israel and measures that are a consequence of 700 days of genocide: sanctions“.
Prévot admitted his fear that Israel does not respect the international law. The message of the Belgian Executive in this regard is clear: “Every attack against our compatriots will be unacceptable.” The Foreign headline has confirmed that it is in contact with the Spanish and Italian authorities to ensure that frigates that have accompanied the expedition attend Belgian citizens if necessary.
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