Global Protests Erupt Following Israeli Interception of Gaza Aid Flotilla: Demonstrators Demand Sanctions

Pro-Palestinian demonstrators gathered in Rome to protest Israel's interception of the Gaza aid Flotilla on Thursday.

Worldwide demonstrations erupted Thursday as protesters denounced Israel's interception of a flotilla carrying humanitarian aid destined for Gaza's Palestinians, with calls for increased sanctions growing louder.

Demonstrations spread across continents from Europe to Australia and South America, as people voiced their outrage over the treatment of the Global Sumud Flotilla. The flotilla had departed Barcelona last month challenging Israel's blockade of Gaza, where the United Nations has reported famine conditions after nearly two years of conflict.

According to an Israeli official, the navy halted forty-one vessels carrying over 400 passengers, including politicians and climate activist Greta Thunberg, preventing them from reaching the coastal territory.

Barcelona saw approximately 15,000 protesters march through the streets, as reported by the city's municipal police. Demonstrators chanted "Gaza, you are not alone," "Boycott Israel," and "Freedom for Palestine." Spanish public television captured images of riot police using truncheons to repel protesters attempting to climb over barriers.

Among the intercepted vessels was one carrying former Barcelona mayor Ada Colau. She and fellow activists, including Nelson Mandela's grandson Mandla Mandela, now face deportation by Israeli authorities.

Several hundred demonstrators also gathered outside Ireland's parliament in Dublin, where support for Palestinians has historical parallels to Ireland's struggle against British colonialism.

Miriam McNally, whose daughter was aboard the flotilla, attended the Dublin demonstration and told AFP, "I am worried sick for my daughter, but I am so proud of her and of what she's doing. She is standing up for humanity in the face of grave danger."

In Paris, around a thousand people assembled at Place de la Republique, while approximately one hundred pro-Palestinian protesters were arrested in Marseille after attempting to block access to Eurolinks, a weapons manufacturer accused of selling military components to Israel.

Additional protests occurred in Berlin, The Hague, Tunis, Brasilia, and Buenos Aires, according to AFP correspondents.

In Italy, where major unions have scheduled a general strike for Friday in solidarity with the flotilla, thousands took to the streets urging Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni to defend the activists. Rome saw 10,000 participants according to police, with additional demonstrations in Milan, Torino, Florence, and Bologna.

Following a similar demonstration on Wednesday evening, protesters in Rome gathered at the Colosseum and marched, criticizing the far-right prime minister's support for Israel. "We are prepared to block everything. The genocidal machine must stop immediately," they chanted.

In Istanbul, Turkey, whose government has been among the most vocal critics of Israel's offensive, a long column of demonstrators marched to the Israeli embassy carrying banners demanding a "Total embargo on the occupation."

Elif Bozkurt, a 21-year-old student, told AFPTV, "We demand the release of all members of the Sumud fleet and all prisoners, and as university students, we demand that all academic and economic ties with the genocidal Israeli state be terminated at our universities."

Approximately 3,000 protesters gathered in front of the European Parliament building in Brussels, with banners urging the EU to "break the siege" as smoke bombs and crackers were detonated in the crowd.

A protester identified as Isis told AFPTV, "The message is that each boat must be protected," while calling on European Union leadership to halt the "astronomical sums of money sent to Israel" through the bloc's agreements with the Middle Eastern country.

A similarly sized crowd rallied in Geneva, according to AFP journalists and Swiss broadcasters. Predominantly young protesters lit a bonfire near the central station before moving to the Mont Blanc bridge at the end of Lake Geneva, where they encountered police in riot gear who pushed them back after brief clashes.

In Athens, demonstrators set off fireworks and flares. Petros Konstantinou, coordinator of Greece's World Against Racism and Fascism (KEERFA) group, told AFPTV, "The attack against the flotilla Sumud, it was a barbaric escalation from the Israeli apartheid state. They don't want to even open a passage for humanitarian aid to Gaza."

Dozens also demonstrated in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in front of the United States embassy, Israel's key ally. "We are very upset... Upset, angry, disgusted because what they are doing is for humanity," said Ili Farhan, 43. "They are just bringing in aid and baby food... This arrest is unjust."