More than a thousand demonstrators gathered on Thursday in Lisbon to demand the release of Portuguese citizens detained by Israel on boats carrying humanitarian aid as part of the Global Sumud Flotilla.
The protest, organized by the solidarity movement with Palestine, began in front of the Israeli Embassy. Adults, youths, and children were present, displaying the Palestinian flag and the symbolic Palestinian Keffiyeh scarf.
On Thursday night, over a hundred people moved the protest to Mude, where a debate between Lisbon City Council candidates was taking place, leading to the closure of Rua Augusta in both directions.
The demonstrators called for sanctions against Israel and the resignation of the current Mayor of Lisbon, Carlos Moedas.
Around 12:20 AM today, demonstrators blocked the car of the Socialist Party candidate for Lisbon City Council, Alexandra Leitão, who had to return to Mude.
Leitão downplayed the incident in statements to RTP. The station broadcast images from inside the museum, where candidates were talking in small groups.
A spokeswoman for the Lisbon PSP told Lusa that “there was not necessarily a blockade” of the participants exiting the debate.
The police “ensured that each candidate left the building under the conditions” and through the “application of security measures,” added the spokeswoman.
Israeli forces intercepted the Global Sumud Flotilla, consisting of about 50 boats, between Wednesday and Thursday. The flotilla was heading to the Gaza Strip to deliver humanitarian aid, and participants, including four Portuguese citizens—the leader of the Left Bloc, Mariana Mortágua, actress Sofia Aparício, and activists Miguel Duarte and Diogo Chaves—were detained.
Prime Minister Luís Montenegro expressed on Thursday his hope that the Portuguese citizens could return to the country “without any incident,” stating that the humanitarian flotilla’s message had been conveyed.
Additionally, 30 Spanish, 22 Italian, 21 Turkish, 12 Malaysian, 11 Tunisian, 15 Brazilian, and 10 French citizens, as well as individuals from the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Mexico, and Colombia, were detained.
Organizers reported a lack of information regarding the whereabouts of 443 participants in the humanitarian mission.
See the images in the gallery above.
