July 12, 2011


ACTION ALERT!

Call the Greek Embasy: 202-939-1300

Call US Sec. of State Clinton: 202-647-5291

Call the Greek Desk, US State Dept: 202-647-6760

Call the US Embassy in Athens: 011-30-210-721-2951

Tell them:
FREE THE US SHIP!

Read Medea's most recent piece published by Common Dreams:
By Torpedoing the Gaza Flotilla, Israel Sunk its Own Ship

Learn more about the flotilla

Dear CODEPINKer,

I'm writing to you from the deck of The Audacity of Hope. But we're not on a lovely Greek island, sipping ouzo and taking dips in the cool, clear Mediterranean. We're stuck in a dusty, barren military port outside Athens. Ten days after we tried to break free from the Greek authorities and sail to Gaza, our boat continues to be impounded. The eight of us still on board are living in dismal surroundings, enclosed by gates and razor wire, baking in 95-degree heat. Press are not allowed in; visitors are restricted and must be pre-approved. Our Embassy has refused to help us. Worse yet, when we try to protest at our Embassy, the Greek police detain us and take us to jail — on orders, they tell us, from the U.S. Embassy.  Our captain was put in jail for four days. He was finally released, but still faces bogus charges of endangering the passengers and disobeying a police order to keep the ship at dock.

 

The Greek authorities continue to enforce a ban on all travel to Gaza, and have imposed even more bureaucratic obstacles to prevent us from moving our boat. They say we must make some adjustments to pass inspection, but have not yet given the approval for workers to come on board to get the work done.  Our travails, together with the obstacles the other boats are facing, are clearly a shameful reflection of the Greek government's decision to do Israel's dirty work in stopping the Freedom Flotilla from sailing to Gaza.

 

While we are suffering under miserable conditions, Greek President Karolos Papoulias is in Israel, being feted and thanked by President Shimon Peres for Greece's role in thwarting the flotilla. 

 

 

Please call the Greek Embassy and State Department and tell them to FREE OUR SHIP FROM THE MILITARY DOCK! Hillary Clinton will be visiting Greece later this week. One word to her Greek counterparts and our boat would be free.


 

Greek Embassy: 202-939-1300

US Sec. of State Hillary Clinton: 202-647-5291


 

Despite this debacle, the flotilla has been a huge success, achieving our goal of raising global awareness of the ongoing siege of Gaza in the mainstream media. From trying to ban journalists aboard the flotilla from traveling to Israel to sabotaging the boat propellers, the Israeli government committed blunder after blunder (which I highlighted in my article). And after we couldn't sail to Gaza, another group of internationals attempted to fly into Israel bound for Palestine in what the media called the “flytilla" -- another action that successfully exposed the paranoia and brutality of the Israeli government.

 

Like the inexorable rhythm of the ocean, the Palestinians will continue to lap at the shores of injustice, demanding the right to right to live in dignity. And so will we, the international community, keep coming back with wave after wave of nonviolent resistance -- by sea, by plane, by land, until justice prevails. 

 


With oceans of hope,

Medea 

P.S. Many of us are flying home soon and there isn't much time left to free the boat. Please call 
today!  

 


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