An estimated 150 protestors came together in Nicosia on Tuesday evening to protest the capture and deportation of activists aboard the Madleen, which was sailing to Gaza as part of the “Freedom Flotilla” to bring aid to the strip, by the State of Israel on Monday.

They described Israel’s treatment of the boat and its 12-person crew as an “abduction”.

“Not only were they breaking the law in terms of the ship, but also in terms of blockading Gaza and prohibiting aid from reaching Gaza,” activist Marcos Economou said at the protest.

He added that many of the protesters present on Monday felt that the Cypriot government was complicit in what is happening in Gaza.

This, he said, was the reason so many people came together on Tuesday.

Photo: Johanna Pauls

“Despite the majority of European states having distanced themselves from Netanyahu, Cyprus is openly supporting him,” he added.

Later in the protest, another activist criticised the State of Israel’s decision to not allow the Madleen to reach Gaza, describing it as part of a broader pattern. 

“Israel feels it can now attack, abduct, and destroy similar humanitarian missions anywhere, with impunity,” the activist said.

He referenced the Israeli military’s raid on the Mavi Marmara in 2010, in which aid activists were killed, as well as recent reports alleging that Israel targeted another humanitarian vessel, the Conscience, off the coast of Malta in May.

“Greta Thunberg put it precisely when she said that people in Gaza don’t need anyone to come and save them, but they need us to amplify and support their struggle,” he continued.

During the recent Madleen voyage, activists livestreamed under the hashtag “keep all eyes on deck,” while Israeli supporters mockingly called it the “Selfie Flotilla.”

Some of the activists who were on board the Madleen, including Sweden’s Greta Thunberg, have since been deported to their respective home countries, though French MEP Rima Hassan was one of eight who refused to sign a deportation warrant and thus remains in custody.