"This is the Freedom Ride of this era"

"This is the Freedom Ride of this era - to get on this boat, make it to Gaza, to join our stories to their stories, to know that these oppressions can be ended."

Toronto Star reporter Jim Rankin is filing live reports from Greece onboard the Canadian boat Tahrir carrying 19 Canadians to Gaza, two of whom have been arrested and held without charges. The ship was boarded by the Greek authorities and towed back to port four miles short of international waters after making a run for it. It is now reportedly leaking diesel and taking on water, having been damaged while being detained.

Meanwhile ....
Haaretz : Israel, Greece mark growing ties with joint air force drill

Greek and Israeli air forces hold two-week-long drill as the two countries' ties tighten following Greek government's attempt to halt the Gaza-bound flotilla from departing.

The Guardian : Greek coastguard forces Gaza 'freedom flotilla' vessel back to port

"Spiros Spirou, the provincial official in charge of the Ionian islands, told the Guardian that he "admires and supports the activists' struggle" and said he would make no attempt to stop the ship if it left harbour. "Greece loves peace, but at this moment it can't confront more powerful economic forces," claimed Spirou, adding that official attempts to tie the flotilla up in bureaucracy and paperwork were merely a pretext to preventing it from sailing at all."

"more powerful economic forces"
Israel must be congratulated on outsourcing its Gaza blockade by extending military control of its coastal waters to include those of Greece.

h/t #AntoniaZ and #flotilla2
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