Leftist French protesters rally in solidarity with the Gaza-bound aid vessel
Humanitarian Aid Activists Detained: The Gaza Bound Madleen Incident
Protesters, waving Palestinian flags and chanting slogans like "Free Palestine" and "Gaza, Gaza, we are with you", took to the streets of major French cities, including Paris, Marseille, Lille, Lyon, Toulouse, Strasbourg, and Nice. These demonstrations were sparked by the interception of the sailing vessel Madleen by the Israeli military, which was carrying a crew of activists on a mission to deliver aid to Gaza.
LFI, the Liberal Democracy movement behind the rallies, claimed that over 150,000 demonstrators turned out nationwide, with around 50,000 in Paris alone. According to national police records, approximately 24,700 participants were registered in 97 rallies outside the capital, with a further 8,000 in Paris.
The vessel carried a dozen activists, representing various nationalities, including French, German, Brazilian, Turkish, Swedish, Spanish, and Dutch. The Madleen set sail from Italy on June 1st, aiming to raise awareness of the food shortages plaguing Gaza, a situation that the United Nations has labeled as one of the hungriest places on Earth.
Following 21 months of conflict, the UN issues a warning about the potential risk of famine threatening the entire 2-million population of Gaza. Famous climate activist Greta Thunberg and French-Palestinian MEP Rima Hassan of the Fringe Left Party (LFI) were among the crew.
In the wee hours of Sunday to Monday, the Israeli military intercepted the Madleen. The boat subsequently arrived at the Israeli port of Ashdod on Monday evening.
Israeli Stances and Actions
Israel's foreign ministry announced that Thunberg was deported back to Sweden. A photo of her seated on a plane was posted on the ministry's website. The ministry added that three other activists and a journalist agreed to be deported and would be leaving Israel. Adalah, a legal rights group in Israel representing the activists, stated that the remaining eight activists refused deportation and were being held in detention.
Sabine Haddad, a spokeswoman for Israel's Interior Ministry, mentioned that the activists receiving deportation would forgo their right to appear before a judge. Those who opted not to would face a court hearing, followed by a 96-hour detention period before deportation. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot revealed that one of the detained French activists had signed an expulsion order and would depart for France on Tuesday. The other five refused the order.
Rima Hassan, an LFI member and one of the detained activists, refused to sign the document presented to her, according to Mathilde Panot, leader of the LFI deputies in parliament. She expressed concern that the document described the activists' entry into Israel as illegal, a charge Hassan vehemently disputes.
Accusations and Criticism
Jean-Luc Mèlenchon, an influential figure within the LFI, lambasted the Israeli action as a "piracy" during a Paris rally alongside other left-wing leaders. Mèlenchon accused the French government of remaining silent on the issue and called for a new "mass mobilization of the French people in support of Palestinians" on June 13th.
Emmanuel Macron, the French President, has urged the swift return of the French nationals, who remain in detention at this time. He has also condemned the ongoing humanitarian blockade of Gaza, labeling it as a "scandal" and "unacceptable".
France's left-wing parties and organizations, such as Amnesty International, believe the Madleen's interception violated international law. As global concern mounts, various NGOs and media groups call for unrestricted press access to Gaza.
(with newswires)
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Sources:
- Reuters
- AP News
- Times of Israel
- France24
- Activists, led by French-Palestinian MEP Rima Hassan of the Fringe Left Party (LFI) and famed climate activist Greta Thunberg, were among those aboard the Gaza-bound vessel Madleen, intercepted by the Israeli military.
- Emmanuel Macron, the French President, has criticized the Israeli interception of the Madleen and the ongoing humanitarian blockade of Gaza, labeling it as a "scandal" and "unacceptable".
- Israeli Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot and Sabine Haddad, a spokeswoman for Israel's Interior Ministry, announced that some activists aboard the Madleen were being deported, while others were being detained.
- International organizations, including Amnesty International and various NGOs, have accused Israel of violating international law with the interception of the Madleen and have called for unrestricted press access to Gaza.
