Protests after the Sumud Flotilla arrested. Thousands of people on the streets of Italy and Portugal
Thursday was the second day in a row of the demonstration in Italy against the unlawful detention by Israel in the waters of international participants of the global Sumud (GSF) from 47 countries, in which a large Italian delegation also flowed. The humanitarian convoy of about 40 boats was detained on Wednesday night by Thursday by the Israeli Navy. Israel's actions caused protests in many countries.
The head of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Deputy Prime Minister Antonio Tajani announced that Israel had detained about 40 Italian activists.
In Rome, over 10,000 people set off on Thursday from the Colosseum towards Cestiusz's pyramid at Via Ostiens. The demonstrators were carrying banners with the slogans: “Free Palestine” and “Gazo, we will come” and “We block everything”. Similar slogans accompanied the rally in Milan, where many streets were blocked due to the march of demonstrators.
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The manifestation of thousands of thousands took place in Turin. There The group of protesters invaded the area starting on Friday Italian Tech Week and destroyed some of the hall equipment. On Friday, there is, among others, the chairwoman of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen. Aggressive demonstrators were removed by the police.
The clashes also occurred in Bologna, where the protesters threw the policemen with smokes and candles. The officers responded with tear gas. At the main railway station, one of the largest in Italy, trains were suspended when a large group of people entered the tracks. Participants of Propalestine demonstrations also blocked railway tracks in other cities.
The protests were preceded by a Friday general strike against the Israeli operation, announced by the largest leftist trade union headquarters in the country and autonomous relationships.
The strike was criticized by the Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, as well as Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Infrastructure and Transport Matteo Salvini, who stated that this was an illegal protest. “Whoever participates in this strike will bear the consequences,” Salvini warned.
Protests also in Portugal
On Thursday evening, the inhabitants of Portugal also came out into the streets. The biggest demonstration took place late in the evening in the center of Lisbon, where some of the demonstrators marched to the Israel's embassy. About 1.5 thousand Participants a group of demonstrators chanted anti -izrael slogans, demanding from the authorities of Portugal actions to free four citizens of this country detained on flotilla ships.
In an interview with the media, some of the demonstrators did not hide their disappointment because of their opinion too passive attitude of the Portuguese government towards the Israeli authorities.
Participants of the protests in Lisbon and Porto, where about a thousand people came to the manifestation, chanted, among others: “Stop of the genocide!”, “Stop this massacre!”, “Free Palestine!”, As well as “Humanitarian flotilla is us!”
On Thursday, protests against the occupation of flotilla ships by Israel also took place in Faro, Aveiro, Castelo Branco, Aveiro, Setubal, Coimbra and Braga.
On the night of Wednesday to Thursday, the Israeli Navy detained in international waters a distance of about 80 nautical miles from Stefa Gaza, the boats of the global Sumud (GSF) flotilla, arresting over 400 volunteers from 47 countries of the world, including Poland.
