More than a hundred people have gathered this afternoon near the Hanging Bridge, between Portugalete and Getxo, to welcome the ship of the "Freedom Flotilla. Heading to Gaza," which has made a stop in Euskadi on its journey to Gaza.
This Saturday, September 5, one of the ships of the "Freedom Flotilla" has arrived on the Basque coast, which is once again sailing the Mediterranean to "denounce the genocide, occupation, and ethnic cleansing in Gaza and Palestine." The plan is for it to remain in Euskadi until Tuesday the 8th, when it will set sail for Vigo and, from there, continue to other ports in the Mediterranean before reaching Gaza.
Basque groups in solidarity with Palestine have organized a welcome event that began after 5:30 PM, between Portugalete (Mareómetro) and Getxo (Muelle Evaristo Churruca), on the banks of the Nervión estuary.
A spokesperson for these organizations, Portugalete Palestinarekin, explained that they wanted to accompany the "Freedom flotilla," which aims to reach Gaza to bring "supplies," so that "the people there can survive the occupation and the extermination of the Zionist entity."
According to what he pointed out, they hope that they "are allowed to arrive and that no one is killed," as he denounced, happened "in 2009-2010 when they killed nine members of the Freedom Flotilla."
The representative of Portugalete Palestinarekin emphasized that "it is a fundamental humanitarian act" in which the "right of Palestine to be free and the return of all Palestinians to their land" is claimed. "And that the people who are occupying have two options: either they leave the land they are occupying or they decide to live freely with the Palestinians," he added.
CYCLE MARCH
The welcome event was also joined this Saturday by Ekologistak Martxan, Biraka, and Biziz Bizi, who organized a cycle march in support of the "Freedom Flotilla. Heading to Gaza," traversing both banks of the Nervión estuary.
The peloton, made up of around 40 cyclists, left the Arenal of Bilbao around 4:00 PM to advance through the Left Bank and, after passing through Barakaldo and Sestao, arrived in Portugalete around 5:30. They then crossed the Hanging Bridge towards Getxo to join the welcome event, where more cyclists joined in.
Later, the cycling march has continued accompanying the "Freedom Flotilla" along the Right Bank to the Maritime Museum Dock, the scheduled arrival point around 7:00 PM, where various reception events for the flotilla activists have been planned.
In statements to Europa Press, the spokesperson for Ekologistak Martxan, Carlos Aloso, has indicated that, with this bicycle march, they wanted to join the "Freedom Flotilla" and support one of its ships that arrives this Saturday in Bilbao to "disseminate and denounce" during its three-day stay "the genocide that continues to occur in Palestine" and demand "not to forget."
In the vicinity of the Hanging Bridge, more than a hundred people have gathered on both banks of the estuary, wanting to accompany the flotilla on its arrival in Euskadi.
Likewise, Podemos Euskadi has traveled to Portugalete to welcome the activists and denounce "the genocide" of Israel in Gaza.
SCHEDULED EVENTS
After the reception this Saturday, for this Sunday a talk/debate on Palestine has been organized at the Itsasmuseum in Bilbao, in which journalist Teresa Aranguren, Palestinian citizen Fouad Baker, and activist Koldo Alzola will participate. Afterwards, performances and a Palestinian market will be held.
On the 7th, the captain of the ship, members of Freedom Flotilla, and Basque activists will hold a press conference in the museum's esplanade, and on Tuesday the 8th, the farewell of the vessels will take place before continuing their journey.