TEHRAN – International outrage exploded this week after Israeli Navy Commandos thwarted the Global Samud Fleet, a fleet of 42 ships carrying small consignments of volunteers and food and medicine.
It was within hours of demonstrations from Barcelona and Rome to Buenos Aires and Sydney that took the boarding image and activists to Ashdod.
Italy provided the most dramatic response. The union, known as the 1st General Strike on October 3, says it attracted more than 2 million people in cities with more than 100 people as more than 100 cities stopped services, blocked ports, and protesters demanded an arms embargo on Israel and called for recognition of Palestine.
The strike – a sign of deep public outrage at the reluctance to blame Rome’s Tel Aviv – led to a clash between Milan and Bologna police from a peaceful family.
Diplomatic pressure rose alongside Street Fury. Turkey has announced a special flight that will bring 137 deportee activists to Istanbul. More citizens are either detained or processed for deportation.
Several European governments, including Switzerland, have protested consular access restrictions after Israeli authorities said they had cut off a brief visit to detainees held in Ketziot.
Detained activists explain patterns of abuse. People kneeled for hours, forced water, medication, legal counsel, lack of sleep, and humiliating delays and denials in searches.
Organizers and some detainees say many have begun to feel hungry in the protest. Human rights groups warn that obstructing legal and medical access violates basic standards.
All this unfolds against a harsh background. Approximately 67,000 Palestinians have been killed, UN agencies have confirmed hunger in Gaza, and many observers are now calling for the Israeli campaign genocide. The catastrophe gave urgency to Sumud Flotilla’s attempts to break the siege.
For many demonstrators, the seizure of a vessel carrying assistance crystallized a larger charge. Blockades become collective punishment, and governments that do nothing are conspiring.
The Flotilla episode rediscovers a global campaign for concrete measures, from arms embargo to target sanctions.