The following press release was sent out by the Dignité Al Karama:
The Freedom Flotilla lives on; the French boat, Dignité Al Karama has reached international waters. The voyage has begun… let us continue! Respect our right of passage!
On Saturday July 16th, the French boat Dignité al-Karama finally passed the multitude of obstacles and obstructions put in its way by Greek authorities. Departing from the Greek port of Kastellorizo, Dignité has reached international waters. On board, in addition to the French activists, is a delegation representing all the international campaigns comprising Freedom Flotilla II – “Stay Human”.
The Dignité, sailing under a French flag, left Corsica in late June, and has, over the past weeks, been in Greek waters. It is the only boat of the Flotilla that has so far escaped the prohibition against sailing imposed by Greek authorities at the request of the Israeli government. The campaign, “A French Boat to Gaza” therefore decided to continue its voyage, serving as spokesperson for the whole of the Freedom Flotilla, denouncing the blockade of Gaza and demanding it be immediately lifted, and bringing a message of solidarity to the Palestinians in Gaza.
The Dignité Al Karama carries with it the spirit and principles of the campaign ‘A French Boat to Gaza’ and of the international coalition: a demand for justice and legality by putting an end to the illegal blockade of Gaza, condemned repeatedly by the international community. In the face of Israeli threats, we reaffirm our commitment to non-violence in solidarity with the people of Palestine.
The Dignité has now departed: Let our people go !
Passengers on board the Dignité:
Stéphan Corriveau, Coordinator of Canadian boat to Gaza
Ayyache Derradji, Journalist from Al Jazeera
Dror Feiler, spokesperson of Ship to Gaza-Sweden, President of the European Jews for a Just Peace, musician
Hilaire Folacci, Mariner
Jérôme Gleizes, member of the executive board of « Europe Ecologie Les Verts »
Stéphane Guida, Cameraman from Al Jazeera
Amira Hass, Israeli journalist – Haaretz
Jacqueline Le Corre, France, Médecin-Collectif 14 (Calvados region) de soutien au peuple palestinien, member of the French Communist Party
Jean Claude Lefort, former MEP
Jo Leguen, Navigator
Claude Léostic, spokesperson of Un bateau français pour Gaza/ vice president of the France Palestine Solidarity Association
Yamin Makri, France, Collectif 69 (Lyon region) de soutien au peuple palestinien
Omeyya Naoufel Seddik, Fédération des Tunisiens pour une citoyenneté des deux rives (FTCR), and Ligue tunisienne des Droits de l’Homme (LTDH), Phd in Political Science
Vangelis Pissias, spokesperson of Ship to Gaza-Greece, Professor at Technical University of Athens
Thomas Sommer-Houdeville, spokesperson of Un bateau français pour Gaza, Researcher, Political Science, Middle East Studies, at the Institut francais du proche Orient
Yannick Voisin, Captain
Amira Hass reports:
On Saturday evening a Gaza-bound boat left Greek territorial waters. Its 10 participants regard themselves as representatives of the entire abortive flotilla to Gaza, and are determined to exhaust all possibilities in order to reach their destination, or at least carry out the symbolic act of protesting the blockade. They are well aware of the Lilliputian dimensions of their venture, compared with the massive impact organizers had initially planned to have with the 10-odd vessel flotilla.
Dignite-Al Karama, one of two yachts purchased by the French delegation in the second Freedom Flotilla, left a port in Corsica on June 25. Thus, it was spared the fate of eight other boats which were supposed to sail out of Greek ports, but were impounded by Greek authorities.
Last Wednesday Karama left the port of Sitia in Crete, where it had been anchored for a week, awaiting the other boats in vain. Once it was clear that Greece, under strong Israeli pressure, would not allow those boats to sail, its remaining passengers ¬ three French nationals and one Tunisian ¬ were joined by three representatives of other delegations, a Greek, Swede and a Canadian, and by three more French activists who arrived from France. Also on board are three crew members and three journalists from Al Jazeera and Haaretz.
