European dockworkers and medics to join Global Sumud Flotilla
Original article by republished from peoples dispatch under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 (CC BY-SA) license.
Delegations from 17 European countries, including trade unionists and health workers, will join the Global Sumud Flotilla to Gaza.
Delegations from at least 17 European countries are preparing to join the Global Sumud Flotilla, which will set sail on Sunday, August 31, in a new attempt to break Israel’s blockade of Gaza. Many of the crew members taking part in this effort to deliver urgently needed supplies have already been active in Palestine solidarity campaigns in their own countries over the past years. For them, joining the flotilla is a logical step in confronting Israel’s ongoing genocide.
Belgian physician Hanne Bosselaers, active with Medics for the People (MPLP–GVHV) and the People’s Health Movement (PHM), emphasized that it is impossible to remain idle while a genocide unfolds in Palestine. Like other PHM members who will also be on board, including British emergency doctor James Smith and Moroccan health activist Aziz Rhali, Bosselaers has long worked with Palestinian health organizations and highlighted the resilience and determination of Gaza’s health workers.
Read more: In Palestine, healthcare is also a form of resistance
For many European participants, the flotilla is also about holding their governments accountable for inaction and silence in the face of Israeli war crimes. “We have a collective responsibility to prevent atrocity crimes,” Smith said in a PHM statement. “Our governments and our courts have failed, and so we must do whatever we can to expose Israel’s crimes and break its brutal siege.”
“Workers can effectively oppose war”
Workers from different sectors will make up a significant share of the flotilla’s crew. Among them are members of the Autonomous Collective of Port Workers (Collettivo Autonomo dei Lavoratori Portuali, CALP), a group known for its consistent actions against arms shipments through the port of Genoa in Italy. CALP’s decision to participate comes alongside an intensive campaign carried out with Music for Peace, which collected more than 40 tons of supplies for Gaza in just a few days – reflecting the widespread opposition to Israel’s crimes.
“The decision by CALP members to take part in the Global Sumud Flotilla, not only by collecting humanitarian aid but also by boarding long-standing member José Nivoi, a leader of USB’s Sea and Ports Coordination, represents the outcome of a long trade union and political journey that is, importantly, oriented toward the future,” the trade union Unione Sindacale di Base (USB) wrote.
That vision of the future includes building international cooperation and solidarity, something already demonstrated by dockworkers’ coordinated refusals to handle arms shipments bound for Israel. “Dockworkers are sending out a hugely significant signal: workers can effectively oppose war, and they can do so even more powerfully if they unite internationally,” USB stated.
Read more: Italian city says no to warships and weapons for Israel
As dozens of send-off events are being prepared across Europe ahead of the flotilla’s launch, hope and determination remain strong among its supporters. “We do not know what will happen, and we are well aware of the Israeli government’s contempt for international law,” USB cautioned. “We are confident, but also concerned.”
Despite such concerns, the broad grassroots support for the Global Sumud Flotilla makes clear that across Europe, ordinary people, unlike their governments, reject war – and are prepared to mobilize for peace.
