Global Protests Erupt After Israel Intercepts Gaza Aid Flotilla
Israel faced widespread international criticism after armed Israeli soldiers boarded around 40 ships attempting to break the naval blockade on Gaza, detaining more than 400 foreign activists, including Swedish climate campaigner Greta Thunberg.
In Barcelona, anger over the raids spilled onto the streets, with protesters spray-painting anti-Israel slogans and damaging windows of stores and restaurants, including Starbucks, Burger King, and Carrefour. Many accused these companies of complicity in Israel’s actions in Gaza.
“These protests are the only thing we can do,” said Akram Azahomaras, who joined the march. “But doing it like this, I don’t think it’s right. We need to speak up peacefully, with our words, not through vandalism.”
Italy also saw widespread demonstrations. Students occupied universities in Milan and Rome, while in Bologna, protesters blocked campus entrances using car tires. In Turin, hundreds blocked the city’s ring road, halting traffic.
Healthcare workers staged a symbolic flash mob in Rome, using flashlights and mobile phones to read the names of 1,677 health workers reported killed in Gaza. Italian unions have called for a general strike in solidarity with the Gaza aid flotilla, with more than 100 marches planned nationwide. Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto criticized the disruption caused by some demonstrators.
Protests spread across Europe, with thousands taking to the streets in Dublin, Paris, Berlin, and Geneva. Demonstrations also erupted in Buenos Aires, Mexico City, and Karachi. In Istanbul, crowds gathered outside the Israeli embassy holding banners reading, “Israel is massacring humanity, not Gaza / Do not be silent, do not sit, stand up.”
The conflict in Gaza has claimed more than 66,000 lives, according to Palestinian authorities, as calls for humanitarian aid and international accountability continue to grow.
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