The protest, organized by the Palestine solidarity movement, began at 6:00 PM in front of the Israeli Embassy, featuring adults, youths, and children displaying the Palestinian flag and the symbolic Keffiyeh scarf.
Many participants held signs demanding “Freedom for the flotilla,” “Sanctions on Israel,” and the “End of the Siege in Palestine.”
Israeli forces intercepted the Global Flotilla Sumud, consisting of around 50 vessels, overnight and into the morning as it headed towards the Gaza Strip to deliver humanitarian aid, detaining participants including four Portuguese citizens: Bloco de Esquerda leader Mariana Mortágua, actress Sofia Aparício, and activists Miguel Duarte and Diogo Chaves.
Prime Minister Luís Montenegro expressed the hope that the Portuguese citizens could return home “without incident,” stating that the humanitarian flotilla’s message had been conveyed.
Sandra Machado, spokeswoman for the Palestine solidarity movement, emphasized the importance of the protests to “demand the Government impose sanctions on Israel” and to pressure the “genocidal state [Israel]” and the Portuguese government to show solidarity with the Palestinian people.
“(The protests aim) to hold our Government, especially the Portuguese government, accountable, as it is shameful what is happening. It is inconceivable how we’ve reached this point without measures being taken to pressure Israel to comply with international law and end this genocide,” Sandra Machado stated.
Protesters Leonor Wicke and Rafael Lupson also shared their reasons for participating in the protest.
For Leonor Wicke, attending the demonstration embodies “a mix of solidarity, but also deep sadness and frustration,” arguing that the war in Gaza should have ended by now.
“We are fighting for something so basic,” Leonor indicated, referring to the rights of the Palestinian people.
Rafael Lupson stated that the focus of the protest is the genocide occurring in Gaza and highlighted the importance of freeing the detained flotilla participants. He also called for the Portuguese government to boycott the Israeli state.
“Naturally, (Portugal must boycott) everything from Israel, including products, sales, and purchases, and naturally, support those who are detained,” he argued.
The protest featured speeches, drums, and numerous chants such as “Palestine will prevail.”
Representatives from the Bloco de Esquerda and the Portuguese Communist Party were also present at the demonstration.
The Palestine solidarity movement organized more protests today across the country, starting between 6:00 PM and 7:00 PM.
The actions took place in Aveiro, Braga, Castelo Branco, Coimbra, Faro, Porto, Setúbal, and Viseu.
The ongoing war in Gaza was triggered by attacks on Israel led by the Palestinian extremist group Hamas on October 7, 2023, resulting in approximately 1,200 deaths and over two hundred hostages.
Israel’s retaliation has so far led to more than 66,000 deaths, the destruction of nearly all of Gaza’s infrastructure, and the forced displacement of hundreds of thousands of people.
Israel has also imposed a blockade on the delivery of humanitarian aid, where over 400 individuals have already died from malnutrition and hunger, most of them children.
