Socialist Party and United Left Alliance MEP, Paul Murphy, has been detained by the Israeli military, along with other activists from the MV Saoirse and the Canadian boat the Tahrir.
The boat had been part of the Freedom Waves flotilla that attempted to travel to Gaza in solidarity with the suffering Palestinian people and to deliver humanitarian aid. The blockade is in its fifth year and is illegal. This collective punishment has led to untold hardship for the Palestinian people as vital medical supplies and building material is not allowed through.
A protest was hastily arranged this evening in solidarity with the detained activists was held on O’Connell Street in Dublin. Around 200 people were able to attend.
A video of the MV Saoirse being boarded has emerged. The Israeli Navy appear to spray the deck of the boat with a high-powered water cannon to incapacitate anyone on deck before they board.
