Irish Ship to Gaza SABOTAGED by Israeli agents: Protest & sit in today

by Fred Sun Jul 03, 2011 00:29

Greece officially bans flotilla ships from departing Reuters

'Audacity of Hope' organizers say Greek authorities approach ship shortly after leaving port; unclear how moves will affect overall flotilla plans.

The Greek Ministry of Citizen Protection on Friday issued a statement saying that the Minister, C. Papoutsis, decided to prohibit the departure of ships flying either Greek or foreign flags "to the maritime area" of Gaza.

"By orders of the Hellenic Coast Guard Head Quarters to all local Hellenic Coast Guard Authorities, all appropriate measures are taken for the implementation of the said decision,"| the statement said

The statement said that the "broader maritime area of eastern Mediterranean will be continuously monitored by electronic means for tracking, where applicable, the movements of the ships allegedly participating" in the Gaza flotilla.

While Cyprus had already banned ships headed for Gaza from leaving their ports, the Greeks had not taken this measure until Friday.

The Greek Coast Guard intercepted a boat carrying US activists soon after they set sail from Greece on Friday to join a pro-Palestinian flotilla to Gaza, one of the activists said.

The boat, dubbed The Audacity of Hope, had just left Perama port, near Piraeus, for the open seas, a Reuters witness said.

Minutes earlier, organizers said that the ship's passengers were preparing to "non-violently resist any efforts to stop the boat," saying moments later that the boat "is about to set sail," followed by a message saying that the ship had departed. Through the boat's twitter feed, organizers said that a Greek Coast Guard vessel approached The Audacity of Hope as it was pulling away from the dock but then sped away.

A flotilla of boats planning to challenge Israel's naval blockade of the Gaza Strip is expected to sail next week, after repeated delays that activists blame on Israeli sabotage. Israel has denied the accusations.

"We are just here, two miles off Piraeus. We've been stopped by the coastguard, their ship maneuvered in front of us and they are now talking to the captain, they want us to turn around," Ann Wright, one of the activists, told Reuters.

"We are non-violent, we pose no threat," she added, saying that the group was informed of the sailing ban just as it was setting off.

It was not immediately clear how the boat's departure would affect the overall flotilla plans.

by opus diablos - the regressive hypocrite party Fri Jul 01, 2011 22:13

..the Greeks have boarded and stopped the American boat. They aint happy in AIPAC.

by opus diablos - the regressive hypocrite party Thu Jun 30, 2011 16:39

...are calling for vigil at the Spire(aka de Nail in the Pale, de Spindle in the Swindle etc.)and overnight at the Israeli embassy.

I think they're calling it right. After last year the embassy should have been closed.

Demand Gilmore earns his exhorbitant salary and represent us, not the terrorists using our passports and abusing our aid ships and citizens.
Gather at 6.00pm, bring sleeping bags etc.
Shalom.

by Fred Thu Jun 30, 2011 10:15

Israel also sabotaged Irish ship, say Gaza flotilla organizers
Activists say Israel sabotaged second flotilla vessel, this time docked in Turkey’s territorial waters, after the propeller of a Greek-Swedish ship was found broken earlier this week.
By Haaretz and Amira Hass
Tags: Gaza flotilla Palestinians

Organizers of the Gaza flotilla said Thursday that Israel has sabotaged the Irish ship "Saoirse," in the second such sabotage of a flotilla ship this week.

Earlier this week, activists accused Israel of sabotaging the Greek-Swedish ship "Juliano" in Piraeus.

According to an activist, the engine of the Irish vessel was damaged in such a way that would have caused the ship to sink in the middle of the ocean and cause fatalities. The ship was docked at in Turkey’s territorial waters when the tampering occurred.

The flotilla spokesman, Dror Feiler, told Army Radio that he has no proof that Israel was responsible for the damage, but that the state would do everything in its power to prevent the ships from heading to Gaza.

“I saw the damage and it is clear that it was done in a planned and professional way,” he said. “The Israeli government is the only one that could benefit from this.”

The flotilla organizers are expected to hold a press conference Thursday to reveal additional details of the incident.

On Monday, the propeller of the Greek-Swedish ship "Juliano" was found broken, and Gaza flotilla organizers said they believed it was deliberate sabotage by Israel. Due to the vandalism, flotilla participants have organized guard duty rosters for each ship that is due to sail for Gaza. The Juliano was towed for repairs to a shipyard at another port; as of Wednesday, the assessment was that it would require two more days of work.

Moreover, two Port Authority inspectors appeared at the Greek port of Piraeus on Monday and asked to conduct a surprise inspection of the Canadian ship "Tahrir", after it had already underwent a thorough inspection by the International Naval Surveys Bureau and was said to be ready to sail.

The flotilla's American ship has not yet been certified as fit to sail, following a complaint last week that it was unseaworthy. But a Canadian ship, which an anonymous complaint also labeled unfit to sail, has been reinspected and received clearance as seaworthy.

Israeli claims that flotilla passengers have stockpiled chemicals and flamethrowers on the ships for use against Israeli forces dispatched to intercept them are being portrayed by the organizers as propaganda warfare. The flotilla steering committee reiterated that every piece of personal luggage being brought on the ships will be inspected.

Speaking to Western media outlets, steering committee members repeatedly quoted the restrictions contained in the rules that every flotilla passenger signed, including a prohibition against initiating contact with soldiers or throwing objects (chemicals included) at them.

Some flotilla participants who are staying in neighborhoods near the ships have reported suspicious activity. For instance, some said they had been mugged on the street at several different locations and that their cell phones had been stolen. There have also been reports of the sudden appearance of "fishermen" near water polluted with gasoline and diesel fuel, fisherman who had neither bait nor buckets. Even without a background in intelligence, the delegates have concluded that the strange fisherman have more to do with the flotilla than with fish. The baitless anglers have already become the subject of jokes among flotilla participants.

The flotilla organizers said in the last few days that ten ships would sail to Gaza, although the number is expected to be lower, and are keeping the departure date secret.

by NZ Thu Jun 30, 2011 07:27

Done before by the French SS in NZ '85 against Greenpeace ship "Rainbow Warrior"-1 killed
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinking_of_the_Rainbow_Warrior

by Mamara Thu Jun 30, 2011 03:29

who else would want to sabotage this vessel?? its just a peaceful vessel delivering aid. The only people with anything to lose if the vessel gets to gaza are the israelis.The article says "presumably" which I think is a reasonable qualification.