The Freedom Flotilla with its ship Handala arrives this Sunday July 14 in the port of Dénia (Alicante) in its journey towards Gaza to denounce the genocide that Israel is carrying out against the Palestinians of Gaza in the face of international passivity, and to denounce decades of Israeli occupation of Palestine.
Handala arrives in Dénia in a week in which we reach nine months of incessant bombings and attacks against the defenseless population of Gaza; in which an article published in the prestigious medical journal The Lancet raises the actual number of dead and killed in Gaza to 186,000; in which Israel once again plays macabrely with Palestinians in Gaza forcing new displacements, forcing exhausted and sick people, children, the elderly, pregnant women, etc.. to walk aimlessly carrying their few belongings on their backs for miles and miles knowing that there is no safe place in the entire Strip, to again set up makeshift tents or try to take refuge in the ruins of a house, school, hospital… all of them places that cannot protect the civilian population from intentional Israeli attacks, leaving them defenseless and abandoned to their fate by those who rule the world, apparently unable to stop this massacre.
The ship Handala sailed from Oslo on May 1st, and since then has been visiting European ports in Sweden, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Ireland, France, Portugal and Spain. In Spain it visited at the end of June in the ports of Santander and A Coruña, and then headed for Lisbon, from where it sailed last week. Crossing the Strait of Gibraltar, it left Atlantic waters and entered the Mediterranean to call at Vélez, Malaga.
Now it arrives at the port of Denia, docking in front of the Maritime Museum. As in other ports, Handala will be welcomed by activists and different acts and activities will take place with the participation of the crew and activists on board the Flotilla from different continents representing the Coalition’s campaigns in their countries.
Among the activists and on behalf of Rumbo a Gaza (our Freedom Flotilla member campaign in Spain) sailing from Málaga, we have on board the Palestinian Ibrahim Abiat, deported after the 2002 military enclosure in Bethlehem’s Basilica of the Nativity. In April of that year, following the Israeli Occupation Force’s invasion of Palestinian towns in the West Bank, some 300 Palestinians took refuge from Israeli attacks in the basilica in Bethlehem. After 39 days of siege by the Israeli occupation army, the European Union agreed with the Israeli government on a solution to end the siege: Twenty-six Palestinian people were exiled to the Gaza Strip and thirteen to different European states. Ibrahim was one of these, and he is still waiting for an international resolution to allow him to return to his land, his people and his family.
The local Flotilla support group Moviment per la Pau de la Marina Alta invites you to participate in these activities open to the public where you will have the opportunity to meet and listen to the members of the Flotilla. (Programme below)
On Sunday 14th several rowing, motor and sailing boats will leave to accompany the Handala on its approach to the port. On its arrival at the dock it will be greeted by activists, music and dances.
On Monday 15th mayors of several towns in the region who have approved the Institutional Declaration of support for Palestine and denounce the genocide, along with other political representatives, will visit the ship to carry out this institutional welcome, after which there will be a press conference.
The local Flotilla support group, Moviment per la Pau de la Marina Alta (Movement for Peace on the High Seas), invites everyone to participate in these activities open to the public where you will have the opportunity to meet and listen to the members of the Flotilla. (Programme below)
On Sunday July 14th several rowing, motor and sailing boats will leave port to accompany Handala on its approach to the port. On its arrival at the dock it will be greeted by activists, music and dances.
On Monday 15th mayors of several towns in the region who have approved the Institutional Declaration of support for Palestine and denounce the genocide, along with other political representatives, will visit the ship to carry out this institutional welcome, after which there will be a press conference.
A variety of cultural and Palestine solidarity events will take place during the days that the Flotilla will be in Dénia, culminating in a gathering at the dock the day before its departure and farewell as it sets sail.
The Flotilla will remain in Dénia until July 17th, when it will finally leave the Iberian Peninsula after calling at five of its ports. It will head for the French port of Martigues and then stop in Italian ports to continue its journey towards its final destination, which is Gaza.
Since 2011 the Freedom Flotilla, made up of civil society organisations and grassroots groups from many countries, has been challenging the illegal and inhumane Israeli blockade of Gaza. We sail this year to end the brutal siege of the Gaza Strip, to denounce the genocide and occupation of Palestine. We sail for the children of Gaza, for the children of all Palestine, who are being denied by Israel their right to a present and a future in dignity.
PROGRAMME FOR HANDALA IN DÉNIA
SUNDAY 14th: ARRIVAL (estimated time: 18:00h)
Welcome Flotilla:
– Rowing, motor and sailing boats will go out to welcome the Handala on its approach to the port.
– There will be a traditional Valencian pipe and drum band (Colla de dolçaines i tabalets), on one of the breakwaters (which of the two will depend on the wind).
Welcome on the quay:
Welcome group: anyone who wants to come!!!
Batucada (samba-style drum group) Monbloc from Dénia
Dabke Dancing: Salma and her group, from València
MONDAY JULY 15TH
1) Official welcome: 10:00 a.m.
The mayors (or another representative) from several towns in the region that have approved the Institutional Declaration of support for Palestine and denunciation of the genocide, together with others who wish to join in, will visit the ship to carry out this institutional welcome.
2) Press conference: 11:00h
Will take place on the quay next to the ship.
3) House of Culture: 17:00h – 21:30h
17:00h: Presentation of the event, welcome and 1st poetry reading.
All the poems of the event will be rhapsodised by Poetes per la Cultura and some other poets from the region.
– 17:15-18:15h: Audiovisual presentation and projection “Germans de Mar” (consisting of three blocks of images with sound) by its author, the photographer Xavier Mollà.
Screening of one block.
– 18:15h: 2nd reading of poems
– 18:30 Laura Ferre, BDS activist from Valencia, will speak about the worldwide campaign of Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions against the State of Israel. There will also be time for questions.
– 19:00: Break
– 19:15: 3rd poetry reading.
– 19:30h – 21:00h: Presentation and screening of the documentary “Fire on the Mavi Marmara”.
David Segarra and Vicent Xanzá will present their documentary (69′) about their experience in two previous flotillas. We will have a contribution by a crew member from Handala and David Segarra will present his book “Gaza”.
– 4th poetry reading
– 21:00h – 21:30h Arab-Mediterranean music performance by Salma ElHakim & Sara Dowling, who will also recite poems and be accompanied by video images.
TUESDAY 16TH
1) Children’s activity on the quay next to the boat: 12:00h
Two members of the musical group Zoo will sign their book “I, malgrat tot, Palestina” (And despite everything, Palestine) and lead a workshop for children, on the quay next to the boat.
2) Rally: On the quay next to the boat. From 19:00h to 20:30h.
Activities during the rally:
Reading of a statement in Valencian, Spanish and English (for Handala‘s crew).
Speech by a representative of the Freedom Flotilla – Rumbo a Gaza.
Dances of Universal and World Peace
International Orba choir: 3 songs
Minute of silence for the children victims of genocide.
WEDNESDAY 17: Handala sails for France