Freedom Flotilla II: 30 Canadians aboard the Tahrir are set to sail alongside 22 other ships, all on a humanitarian mission due for Gaza.
9 activists were killed last May during a similar Flotilla which sought to bring food and supplies for the beleaguered Palestinian people.
The Israeli Defense Force have begun preparations to stop the Flotilla, running drills that focus on intercepting and boarding large ships.
The hundreds of protesters taking part in this protest are very brave. They know full well the likelihood of making it to Gaza is slim, and that they might be arrested or killed just for trying. But to them, it’s a worthy cause.
As soon-to-be-Tahrir-passenger Kevin Neish says “the illegal blockade of Gaza is still in place.” Neish states that no matter what happens to him, the Palestinians have gone through “much, much worse, for years and years on end.”
Multilateral actions like these, even if they don’t prove immediately fruitful, still play an integral part in bringing attention to the plight of the Palestinian people.
Much as Apartheid came to an end in South Africa, Israel will be forced to stop their atrocities when the international community mounts enough pressure.
Here’s wishing these freedom fighters a Bon Voyage!
