UK: Palestine and climate activists urge government to secure release of Madleen crew
A coalition of Palestinian solidarity and climate justice groups are staging an “emergency demonstration” outside the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) to demand the government secures the release of the detained crew aboard a charity vessel which was carrying aid to Gaza.
The Madleen, whose 12-strong crew includes climate activist Greta Thunberg, was delivering a symbolic amount of humanitarian aid, including rice and baby formula, to Gaza with the intention of breaking Israel’s siege on the territory.
It was intercepted by Israeli forces at around 3am on Monday, who detained the crew.
The Gaza Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC), which operates the vessel, accused Israel of “forcibly intercepting” the boat and acting with “total impunity”.
It said in a statement that the boat was “unlawfully boarded”, its crew “abducted” and its cargo confiscated by Israeli forces in international waters in the early hours of Monday morning.
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The protest was organised by a broad coalition of Palestinian and climate groups, including Fossil Free London, and calls on the UK government to push for the release of the activists.
They argue that under international maritime law, the UK has full jurisdiction over the vessel and a legal duty to protect the crew as the boat is British flagged.
“As a vessel flying the British flag, it falls under the jurisdiction and responsibility of the UK government, which has a legal duty to defend ‘Madleen’ and the civilians on board, and to prevent unlawful interference — including any threat or use of force — by foreign powers such as Israel,” the FFC said in a statement published on X.
It added that any attack or interference with the boat would “constitute a violation of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)” as well as an “affront to UK sovereignty, and a breach of international humanitarian law”.
Shortly before communication with the boat was lost, a photo was circulated on social media showing the activists with their hands up in the air, wearing life jackets.
Before their arrest, crew aboard the FFC said that quadcopters surrounded the aid ship and sprayed it with a “white liquid”.
A series of pre-recorded messages by the activists were also released.
“If you see this video, we have been intercepted and kidnapped in international waters by the Israeli occupational forces,” Thunberg said.
The Israeli foreign ministry said the crew were being taken to Israel and “were expected to return to their home countries”, posting an image of Thunberg being offered a sandwich.
“The show is over,” the ministry added.
Huwaida Arraf, the co-founder of the International Solidarity Movement that is supporting the flotilla, said that Israel has “no legal authority” to detain the Madleen crew.
“These volunteers are not subject to Israeli jurisdiction and cannot be criminalized for delivering aid or challenging an illegal blockade — their detention is arbitrary, unlawful, and must end immediately,” Arraf said in a statement.
President Emmanuel Macron requested that the six French activists aboard the boat “be allowed to return to France as soon as possible”, an unnamed French official told AFP.