Pro-Palestinian campaigners staged an “emergency demonstration” in Glasgow city centre on Monday evening, rallying against Israel’s recent detention of 12 activists attempting to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza.
Around 50 demonstrators braved the rain on the Buchanan Street steps, waving placards with slogans such as “Welfare not Warfare” and “Stop Arming Israel”, while chanting in support of Palestine.
The protest was organised in response to an Israeli military operation that intercepted the Madleen, a UK-flagged aid vessel, in international waters early Monday. The boat was en route to Gaza as part of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, which aims to break the Israeli blockade and deliver humanitarian relief.
Among those reportedly detained was Swedish climate campaigner Greta Thunberg, whose presence drew global attention to the flotilla. The Madleen had departed from Sicily on 1 June, carrying medical and sanitary supplies.
One protester told The Herald: “It’s a dangerous political precedent to allow this without condemnation. It’s vital that Scotland makes clear we do not support these actions. Our government must prioritise welfare over warfare.”
Dylan Hamilton, a Scottish climate activist who assisted in loading the vessel, also addressed the crowd:
“I physically carried the aid – sanitary products, medical supplies. They were heavy, but the moral burden felt heavier. How have we allowed genocide to unfold in plain sight?”
The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed via social media that the vessel and its occupants were taken into custody, referring to the ship as a “selfie yacht” used for a “media provocation.”
Officials also claimed that the activists would be shown graphic footage from the 7 October Hamas attacks as part of their detainment.
The Israeli government stated: “While Greta and others sought publicity with less than a truckload of aid, over 1,200 aid trucks have entered Gaza from Israel in the past two weeks.”
However, human rights advocates and legal experts have strongly condemned the operation. Critics argue the interception violates international maritime law and defies the International Court of Justice’s (ICJ) binding orders for unimpeded humanitarian access to Gaza.
“This seizure is unlawful and the activists must be released immediately. They are not under Israeli jurisdiction and cannot be criminalised for delivering aid or protesting a blockade ruled illegal under international law.”
Israel has imposed a comprehensive air, land, and sea blockade on Gaza for over 18 years. The latest episode has drawn comparisons to the 2010 flotilla raid, during which 10 activists were killed by Israeli forces in international waters, sparking global outrage.
