Palestinian flags displayed on riverboat on Tiber in solidarity for Flotilla setting sail for Gaza

 ROME - Numerous Palestinian flags and banners were displayed aboard one of Rome’s historic barconi (riverboats), which sailed for about an hour along the waters of the Tiber River, writes Il Fatto Quotidiano.

 The journey through the monuments of the capital was organized by several associations, including Free Citizens for Palestine, Healthcare Workers for Gaza, and BDS Rome, to show solidarity with the Global Sumud Flotilla, a fleet of boats that departed from various European countries with the aim of delivering humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza.

 “We want to show our support for the mission of the Sumud Flotilla,” explained Antonella Moschillo of Free Citizens for Palestine, “and we also want to let the institutions know that we, from the grassroots, support this action because it represents the deep frustration people feel about the situation in Gaza.”

 The boat departed from and returned to Castel Sant’Angelo, moving northward along the river. During the journey, the approximately one hundred demonstrators chanted various slogans calling for an end to the genocide, expressing their solidarity with the people who are living through a dire situation, marked by famine and Israeli attacks.

 “This is not a mission that should fall on civilians, but on our governments,” said Simona Mattia, spokesperson for Healthcare Workers for Gaza. “Our government should lift the naval blockade, which is illegal, and deliver aid to the Palestinian people.”

 At the end of the river journey, the demonstrators loudly called for the route to continue beyond Ponte Sisto, toward St. Peter’s and Tiber Island. However, police forces prevented them from continuing further.

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