Barcelona mobilizes in support of the Flotilla and fills the Muelle de la Madera

BarcelonaTo the cry of "Free Palestine!", Barcelona painted the Muelle de la Madera black, white, green and red this Friday, at the start of a series of protests that will continue until Sunday the 31st. That day The Global Sumud Flotilla will set sail for Gaza with a dual mission: "To open a humanitarian corridor to deliver aid to the Palestinian civilian population and to alert the world to the need to get involved, denounce, and raise awareness about more than eight decades of genocide and ethnic cleansing perpetrated by Israel against the Gazan people," the Brazilian activist stressed.

For the moment, the exact number of boats and participants who will sail the Mediterranean over the planned seven or eight days has not been specified, for "security reasons." However, Ávila assures that the figure will be "historic," with representation from 44 different countries and surpassing that of all previous flotillas that have attempted to reach Gaza, and that the crew will exceed 1,000 people.

Among them will be prominent figures such as Swedish activist Greta Thunberg, former mayor of Barcelona Ada Colau, and the Irish actor who plays Davos Seaworth in Game of ThronesLiam Cunningham, who told the ARA that he is not afraid: "You can't be afraid; in Gaza, they are. We're just doing what governments should be doing and aren't doing."

Among the attendees were several people of Gazan origin, wearing kufias around their heads or shoulders as a symbol of resistance. Also prominent were activist and former CUP member of Parliament, Gabriela Serra, and Catalan activist Llum Mascaray, who earlier last year jointly led a 16-day hunger strike in support of peace in Gaza.

"It's not just about bringing humanitarian aid, but also about highlighting the huge problem behind it, denouncing the complicity of states and institutions, and expressing the pain so intense that sometimes there aren't even words to describe the situation in Gaza," Mascaray says.

Essential citizen support

During the presentation, Ávila also stressed the importance of civil society support to reach Gaza: "We need the movement on land to be as strong as that at sea," highlighting the role of social media as a hub of support for the movement. In recent days, these platforms have been filled with videos supporting the mission from personalities such as actor Luis Tosar and director Pedro Almodóvar.

Furthermore, during the inauguration, Ávila highlighted that social media was a key instrument of pressure for the release of Greta Thunberg two months ago, after she was detained by the Israeli army in international waters while traveling aboard the Madleen, a ship intended to carry humanitarian aid to Gaza. The 12 occupants of the ship were arrested, deported and Madleen was heard as far away as the Israeli port of Ashdod. Israel justified the action as a measure to prevent the arrival of Hamas sympathizers, in an incident reminiscent of the deadly 2010 attack on a similar flotilla.