One of the RYA Senior Instructors at Cardigan Bay Watersports is an activist, and is sailing one of the boats in the Gaza flotilla (It’s called Hio, and it’s not one of the ones that’s been struck by a drone at the moment). Best of luck to Hannah! The Arabic means ‘Sumud’ which apparently is resistance/perseverance; in Welsh Symud means to move.
I have to admit to not being a massive fan of Greta Thunberg, and I thought the 1000 Madleens thing was just a publicity stunt. They can’t have thought there would be any other outcome than boarding, arrest and deportation.
But I admire everyone on the flotilla and hope that they achieve the aim of showing the rest of the world, and those in Gaza, that people do care about this genocide. I don’t think a single bag of aid will ever reach the shore, but at least they are doing something.
I hope to help my new friend Clare organise a paddle-out to coincide with the next planned flotilla. It’s hard to sit here in safety and see even a small fraction of what’s going on. I have to ration what I engage with because it’s so upsetting, but we can’t just turn away altogether.