The Mallorca delegation of the Global Sumud Flotilla has organised rallies in four ports on the island to show their support for the flotilla that will depart from Barcelona on Sunday with the intention of reaching Gaza to deliver humanitarian aid. The organisation has reported that the demonstrations have been prepared in collaboration with the individuals and entities that organised the marches for Palestine held on 31 July in practically all the municipalities of Mallorca.
The rallies will take place in the ports of Alcudia (this Sunday at 7 p.m.), Portocolom, Soller and Palma, and at all of them a manifesto will be read and other protest actions will be carried out. In Palma, for example, participants will march to the Cathedral to hang a large Palestinian flag and a poster on Dalt Murada. In Soller and Potocolom, a small group of boats will make a symbolic route.
So far, almost twenty organisations, platforms and associations have joined, including Sóller per Palestina, Sóller Solidari, Es 4 Cantons, Associació Cultural El Felanitx, Amics dels Closos, Penya Barcelonista Es Tamarells, Felanitx per la Igualtat, OCB Felanitx, Salvem Portocolom, Ateneu Santa Margalida, Mallorca per Palestina, Mallorca per la Pau, Lobby de Dones Mallorca and Moviment Alcudienc.
Pro-Palestinian activists preparing to set sail for Gaza in dozens of boats carrying aid have called on governments to pressure Israel to allow their flotilla - the largest to date - through the naval blockade. Swedish activist Greta Thunberg and Portuguese left-wing politician Mariana Mortagua were among hundreds of people from 44 countries due to depart from several ports to Gaza as part of the Global Sumud Flotilla. Sumud means “perseverance” in Arabic.
Israel has scuppered numerous attempts over the 15 years of the blockade, including a 2010 boarding by its special forces in which at least nine Turkish activists were killed. The ball was in politicians’ court to put pressure on Israel to let the flotilla through, said Saif Abukeshek, one of the organisers.
“They need to act to defend human rights and to guarantee a safe passage for this flotilla,” the Palestinian, who is resident in Spain, told Reuters on Thursday in Barcelona.
In June, Israeli naval forces boarded and seized a British-flagged yacht carrying Thunberg, among others. Israel dismissed the aid ship as a propaganda stunt in support of Hamas. It has imposed a naval blockade on the coastal enclave since Hamas took control of Gaza in 2007, saying it aims to stop weapons from reaching the militant group.
The blockade has remained in place through conflicts including the current war, which began when Hamas-led militants rampaged through southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing more than 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages, by Israeli tallies. Israel’s retaliatory offensive against Hamas has since killed almost 63,000 Palestinians, according to health officials in Hamas-run Gaza, while a global hunger monitor says part of it is suffering from famine. In early March, Israel also sealed off Gaza by land, letting in no supplies for three months, arguing that Hamas was diverting aid.