hey, im bluepuffin.
I was awake until like 2:30 AM, but it was for a good cause: I was seeing the hidden news unfold, right from the people on board, of the hijacking of the Madleen.
On June 9th, the Madleen, a humanitarian aid vessel aid which sailed to Gaza, was intercepted by Israeli forces in international waters. This is what unfolded in real time, from the eyes of those like me who scrolled through Instagram and Telegram and also from the activists on board.
The Madleen is a vessel that sailed, on the first of June, from Italy with 11 activists, such as Greta Thunberg; and one journalist, with the goal of reaching Gaza. They had humanitarian aid on the boat: 100kg flour, 250kg rice, baby formula, medical kits, et cetera. This aid would definitely not be enough to end the famine in Gaza, but it would be symbolic.
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| The Madleen |
However, unlike the last time the Freedom Flotilla Coalition tried to reach Gaza with aid, the Madleen wasn’t attacked when they sailed near Malta. They were attacked during the dead of night, the earliest of morning, on June 9th, Monday, by Israeli forces, and I was desperately looking for information on social media.
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| The "Conscience", a Freedom Flotilla ship who had the same purpose as the Madleen but was attacked when they sailed near Malta |
Guess what? 2 Israeli quadcopters surrounding the vessel, spraying a white, paint-like substance that passengers described as an irritant. Minute by minute, I posted Stories on Instagram updating people with information. No one cared, or so it seemed. The radio on the vessel was playing disturbing messages, sabotaged. The communications? Eventually, cut completely. Shortly afterward the “paint attack”, the Freedom Flotilla Coalition reported losing contact with those on board. Sorrowfully, as the vessel was about 185 kilometers away from Gaza, Israeli forces entered it and took control of it. The ship, seized; the activists (and that one journalist), kidnapped.
By the way, a video Greta had recorded before being kidnapped which was to use in the situation of being kidnapped, which she was, was posted. The other passengers did the same, with their videos posted too. I shared, on my Story, on Instagram, Greta’s video. I was shocked. Unexpectedly, a friend reached out and I found a partner to share this with, but then we had to sleep, since it was later than 2AM in Portugal. Not like we have school anyways.
Today, the 9th of June, afternoon, the vessel has stopped on the Ashdod port. If the passengers choose to stay, they will suffer detention. If they agree to leave, they will be taken to their countries of origin.
The events are still unfolding, and I hope everything is okay by the time I post this on Friday. Though Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs called their vessel a “selfie yacht”, as if the activists were there for a sort of publicity stunt, even if that came to be true, that doesn't erase the fact they came with humanitarian aid. Imagine attacking an aid vessel. How does giving aid to starving people in Gaza affect Israel in any way? What authority has Israel to seize a ship sailing in international waters carrying aid? Imagine being attacked for trying to help.
Okay, now it's June 10th. Greta was taken to France with 3 other activists, and the remaining on board the vessel are in detention in Israel... They are being treated as if they came to Israel illegally, when they were TAKEN to Israel illegally. Keep in mind the French-Palestinian Rima Hassan, a member of the European Parliament, who was born in a refugee camp in Palestine, is now in detention in Israel. For trying to give aid to her own people. If that doesn't hurt you, I don't know what would.
Now it's June 11th. Wednesday. Rima and Thiago Ávila, another crew member, are now both already or to be put in solitary confinement. Rima had written "Free Palestine" on a wall of the prison she is/was in.
Now it's June 12th. From what I've heard, 6 of the 8 activists which were still in detention are too be freed (including Rima and Thiago). Let's wish the best of luck for them, and also for the children in Gaza who struggle so much. I have to study now.
today's song sugestion is Construção, by Chico Buarque.
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