"If you're watching this, it means Israel has stopped us": Colau and Castillejo's latest videos from the Gaza flotilla

Barcelona"If you're seeing this, it means Israel has detained us illegally." This is the message that former Barcelona mayor Ada Colau launched in a video on social media published minutes after the the assault of Israeli military boats on the Global Sumud Flotilla. The same has been done by CUP (Collective Action Party) MP in Parliament, Pilar Castillejo, who is also traveling aboard the fleet with 500 activists, transporting humanitarian aid with the aim of breaking the blockade of Gaza. Both the Comuns (Communists) and the CUP (Cup) have echoed the videos that both politicians have recorded in case the assault actually occurs. Colau and Castillejo call on all citizens to mobilize to denounce the genocide in the Strip.

This Thursday, a demonstration is scheduled in Barcelona, ​​​​in the Plaza de la Carbonera, at 6:00 p.m. Meanwhile, the Parliament's bureau and spokespersons' committee will meet early (8:20 a.m. and 8:35 a.m.) to "discuss the situation" following the interception of the Flotilla. On the table, as some groups have demanded, is the possibility of suspending the plenary session in protest of the situation. Meanwhile, the detained activists are being held incommunicado. "We don't have access to a phone or the internet [...] We're making this video so you can be our voice and make as much noise as possible," Colau explains in the video posted on her Instagram account.

Similarly, Castillejo attacks the "Zionist state" of Israel: "They kidnapped us in Palestinian waters when we were trying to open a popular corridor to deliver humanitarian aid. This means the aid hasn't been able to arrive." Also traveling with her was CUP national secretariat member Adrià Plazas.

Another member of the Flotilla is Jordi Coronas, a Barcelona councilor from the ERC. Elisenda Alamany, a fellow member of the ERC, sent a message to the City Council on his behalf. "Shortly after speaking with our colleague, aboard the Gaza Flotilla, his boat was attacked by the Israeli government. ERC calls for mobilization to end the genocide," she stated.

The Government, in contact with the ministry

The crews of the 44 humanitarian vessels were boarded by the navy 80 miles from the Strip. Following the assault, the President of the Generalitat (Catalan government), Salvador Illa, stated that he is following with "concern" the news coming in about the Flotilla and called on the Israeli government to respect "international law" and that of the members of the Flotilla, "starting with their safety." "The Government is in coordination with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs," he wrote to X. In addition, the President has canceled the lecture he was scheduled to give tomorrow at Sapienza University, in conjunction with his trip to Rome. He did so in solidarity with the students protesting the situation in Gaza, according to sources from the Presidency.

The Minister for the European Union and External Action, Jaume Duch, has published a message in English on X to the same effect.