“Freedom” one of the Freedom Flotilla campaign vessels traveling from Sweden to Palestine to break an 11-year blockade by the Israeli occupation state on the Gaza Strip docked at the British port of Brighton last Tuesday.
According to Anadolu news agency the boat was welcomed by a group of activists gathered at Brighton Marina with chants and slogans including “Freedom to Palestine” and “From the river to the sea Palestine will be free”.
Horns were also blown by activists as the boat approached the marina before making its way to a harbor in Shoreham a British seaside town where it will remain anchored for three days.
Zaher Birawi a British Palestinian journalist and head of the International Committee for Breaking the Siege of Gaza said all the Freedom Flotilla campaign boats left the Dutch capital of Amsterdam a few days ago and are visiting various ports across Europe before heading for Gaza.
“’Freedom’ came to Brighton. We are here to salute it” Birawi said speaking to Anadolu.
He said the flotilla’s boats would gather in Spain at the end of June to set sail for Gaza in a bid to break Israel’s illegal naval blockade on the population.
Birawi as a British citizens called on the government in the UK to stop supporting Israel and stand with the oppressed people of Palestine.
For his part James Godfrey spokesman for the Freedom Flotilla Coalition told Anadolu that it was the first time for an international Freedom Flotilla boat challenging the illegal blockade in Gaza to come to an English port.
“So it is important to highlight the British government’s complicity in the blockade of the two million Palestinian people in Gaza” Godfrey said.
Later “Freedom” headed for Shoreham where it will remain anchored before sailing off to a French port.
At least 100 people holding Palestinian flags and banners also welcomed the boat in Shoreham.
As part of this year’s campaign launched by the international Freedom Flotilla Coalition six boats set sail on May 15 which also marked the 70th anniversary of the Israeli occupation of Palestine (the Palestinian Nakba).
Under the slogan “Right to a Just Future for Palestine” the boats will stop at a number of European ports including in Denmark Britain Italy Spain and Greece before their last leg to Gaza.
Every year for eight years now the Freedom Flotilla Coalition has been launching a new campaign to challenge the blockade.
On May 31 2010 Israeli commandos killed nine Turkish activists in the Mavi Marmara boat convoy in international waters. The convoy which was part of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition was headed for Gaza to deliver humanitarian aid. Another activist later succumbed to his injuries.
