Numerous adults, youth, and children, displaying the Palestinian flag and the symbolic Palestinian Keffiyeh scarf, gathered at the protest organized by the solidarity movement with Palestine. The protest commenced at 18:00 in front of the Israeli Embassy.
Many participants held signs demanding “Freedom for the flotilla,” “Sanctions for Israel,” and “End the Siege in Palestine.”
Israeli forces intercepted the Global Sumud Flotilla, comprising about 50 vessels, between Wednesday night and this morning, as it was en route to the Gaza Strip to deliver humanitarian aid, detaining the participants. Among those detained were four Portuguese citizens: the leader of the Left Bloc, Mariana Mortágua, actress Sofia Aparício, and activists Miguel Duarte and Diogo Chaves.
Prime Minister Luís Montenegro expressed hope today that the Portuguese citizens would return to the country “without any incident,” asserting that the humanitarian flotilla’s message had been conveyed.
