Photo: Bernama
BRUSSELS: Pro-Palestinian activists staged protests on Wednesday across Europe following the interception of the Global Sumud Flotilla by Israeli forces, according to Anadolu Ajansi.
In Rome, hundreds of demonstrators, including students and grassroots union members, gathered at Piazza dei Cinquecento in front of Termini Station.
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Participants blocked traffic in the square and surrounding streets, chanting slogans such as “Let’s block everything for the Flotilla and for Palestine.”
Police closed several metro stations and restricted passenger access to Termini Station. Protesters planned to march toward Piazza Barberini with around a thousand participants.
Italian trade unions, Unione Sindacale di Base (USB) and Confederazione Generale Italiana del Lavoro (CGIL), called a nationwide general strike on Oct 3.
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In Barcelona, several hundred people gathered outside the Israeli consulate to denounce the interception and express solidarity with Gaza.
Similar demonstrations were reported in Berlin, where dozens gathered at Central Station to protest the Israeli attack, and in Brussels, where protesters marched from Place de la Bourse toward the Belgian Foreign Ministry.
Hundreds of people are also expected to hold a protest in London on Thursday.
Organisers of the Global Sumud Flotilla said the interception occurred as Israeli warships blocked communications and moved to halt the convoy. The International Committee for Breaking the Siege on Gaza (ICBSG) confirmed that Israeli forces stormed the ships Alma and Sirius.
Several activists posted videos on social media confirming that Israeli naval boats approached the convoy and ordered them to change course.
The flotilla, loaded mainly with humanitarian aid and medical supplies, set sail at the end of August and was expected to reach Gaza’s coast on Thursday morning under normal circumstances.
This marked the first time in years that around 50 ships have sailed together toward Gaza, carrying 532 civilian supporters from over 45 countries to the enclave of 2.4 million Palestinians that has been under Israeli blockade for roughly 18 years. - Bernama
