TEHRAN – Worldwide protests have erupted following Israel’s interception of the Global Sumud Flotilla, a convoy carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza, with demonstrators demanding tough sanctions against the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. 

Crowds gathered to protest the Israeli navy’s blockade of more than 40 ships carrying roughly 500 people, including prominent figures such as climate activist Greta Thunberg and various politicians. The flotilla was attempting to reach Gaza, where the UN has reported famine conditions after two years of Israel’s ongoing military operations described as genocidal.

By Friday morning, Israeli forces had completely dismantled the flotilla, storming and seizing the Marinette, a Polish-flagged vessel with a crew of six, which was the last ship still at sea. Livestream footage showed soldiers boarding the vessel and detaining those on board. In total, hundreds of activists from dozens of boats have been arrested.

Palestinian supporters gather during a protest at Parliament Square in Westminster, London. [Kin Cheung/AP Photo]

In Italy, people took to the streets on Friday as part of a day-long general strike called by unions in support of the aid flotilla. The CGIL trade union organized demonstrations in more than 100 cities. In Rome, crowds marched from the central Piazza Vittorio toward the main train station, waving union and Palestinian flags and holding banners. Some reports suggest that more than one million people attended the rallies.

In Barcelona on Thursday, demonstrators marched, chanting slogans such as “Gaza, you are not alone,” “Boycott Israel,” and “Freedom for Palestine.” Spanish television showed riot police forcibly repelling protesters who attempted to breach barriers. Former Barcelona mayor Ada Colau is among the activists intercepted at sea.

Pro-Palestine demonstrators march during a rally in support of Gaza through downtown Chicago, Illinois. [Octavio Jones/AFP]

In Dublin, several hundred protesters gathered outside Ireland’s parliament, where Palestinian solidarity is often connected to the country’s historical struggle against British colonialism. Miriam McNally, whose daughter joined the flotilla, told AFP: “I am worried sick for my daughter, but I am so proud of her and of what she’s doing. She is standing up for humanity in the face of grave danger.”

In France, protesters rallied at Place de la République in Paris, while in Marseille demonstrators were arrested after attempting to block access to Eurolinks, a weapons manufacturer accused of selling military components to Israel.

In London, hundreds of demonstrators rallied in central areas on Thursday to support Global Sumud Flotilla activists. The crowd carried Palestinian flags and chanted slogans such as, “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” expressing solidarity with those detained and criticizing the British government for being “complicit in Israel's actions in Gaza.”

In Brussels, roughly 3,000 people gathered outside the European Parliament, urging the EU to “break the siege” amid smoke bombs and firecrackers. Pro-Palestine demonstrations also erupted in Berlin, The Hague, Tunis, Brasília, Buenos Aires, Sydney, Istanbul, Chicago, Tripoli, Kuala Lumpur, Caracas, and other cities worldwide, reflecting global solidarity with Gaza and condemnation of Israel’s interception of humanitarian aid.