<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="yes"?><oembed><version><![CDATA[1.0]]></version><provider_name><![CDATA[Occupied Palestine | فلسطين]]></provider_name><provider_url><![CDATA[https://occupiedpalestine.wordpress.com]]></provider_url><author_name><![CDATA[occupiedpalestine]]></author_name><author_url><![CDATA[https://occupiedpalestine.wordpress.com/author/hajarhajar/]]></author_url><title><![CDATA[&#8217;30 captains&#8217; on intercepted Canadian&nbsp;boat]]></title><type><![CDATA[link]]></type><html><![CDATA[<p>Published yesterday (updated) 04/07/2011 21:46<br />
<img src="https://i1.wp.com/www.maannews.net/images/345x230/136207_345x230.jpg" alt="" /><br />
Palestinians ride on boats at the port of Gaza City during a rally in support ofthe Gaza-bound flotillas [AFP/Mahmud Hams, File]</p>
<p><strong>By Ella Ide</strong><br />
ATHENS, Greece (AFP) &#8212; Thirty pro-Palestinian activists on a Canadian boat bound for Gaza that was stopped out of a Greek port Monday for breaking a ban, defied authorities by claiming they had all captained the ship.</p>
<p>Greek coastguards halted the Canadian vessel Tahrir about 10 minutes after it left port on the island of Crete Monday afternoon with some 40 people on board, organisers said.</p>
<p>&#8220;We have been boarded by about 15 armed special forces,&#8221; David Heap of the Canadian Boat to Gaza organization said by phone from the vessel.</p>
<p>&#8220;I&#8217;m being blocked by a man with a machine gun,&#8221; he said over the noise of shouting from passengers he said were being pushed around. &#8220;We are not using force back,&#8221; he added.</p>
<p>The Tahrir, which was carrying activists from Canada, Belgium, Italy, Switzerland and Turkey, was forced to turn back to Aghios Nikolaos port in Crete, as Heap and others shouted, &#8220;We have to go to Gaza. Let us pass!&#8221;</p>
<p>It had sailed without a captain in the hope of avoiding a severe legal repercussions.</p>
<p>Passenger Joseph Dube, a former Belgium senator with an expired captain&#8217;s licence, had sailed the ship and agreed to take full legal responsibility, according to the Tahrir&#8217;s spokesperson Huwaida Arraf.</p>
<p>When authorities boarded the boat and demanded to speak to the captain, some 30 passengers &#8220;claimed they were the captain,&#8221; she said.</p>
<p>&#8220;Everyone took part in manning the boat in one way or another &#8212; they all had a go at sailing it. The idea is that it will be difficult to arrest 30 people,&#8221; she said.</p>
<p>The Canadian boat was the second in the Freedom flotilla to attempt to set sail. The US Audacity of Hope boat had been thwarted Friday by authorities imposing a ban this week on all Gaza-bound ships leaving Greek ports.</p>
<p>Its American captain John Klusmer was arrested Friday after his ship was intercepted in Greek waters and is due to appear before a prosecutor on Tuesday in the port of Piraeus near Athens.</p>
<p>It is not yet clear what will happen to the passengers on the Tahrir.</p>
<p>&#8220;We left as a volunteer crew. It was legal for us to do so under international law, they had no right to stop us,&#8221; Heap said, adding: &#8220;Our destination is still Gaza.&#8221;</p>
<p>Earlier on Monday, French activists had been joined by their American counterparts to stage a &#8220;symbolic departure,&#8221; on the Louise Michel boat in defiance of the Greek ban.</p>
<p>&#8220;And we&#8217;re off!&#8221; shouted the passengers, cheering and waving as the captain of the Louise Michele unfurled the sails and wildly beeped the boat&#8217;s horn, chanting &#8220;One, two, three four, Occupation No More!&#8221;</p>
<p>Greek coastguard officials moved in swiftly to ask what the activists were carrying on board, but let the demonstration continue.</p>
<p>Activists from the impounded Audacity had begun a hunger-strike in front of the US embassy on Sunday to protest against the arrest of their captain, who was allegedly being held in &#8220;shocking conditions&#8221;.</p>
<p>They were quickly moved on by police.</p>
<p>French Captain Alain Connan said he had decided not to set sail because he risked being slapped with a long prison sentence.</p>
<p>Head of the Palestinian National Initiative (PNI) Moustafa Barghouti said the demonstration was an &#8220;exciting moment&#8221; and that people in Gaza had &#8220;already called to say how grateful they are for such a devoted show of solidarity&#8221;.</p>
<p>Standing out on deck wrapped in a Palestinian flag, he said the protest was helping &#8220;expose not only Israel&#8217;s blockade and occupation but also the complicity of the European and American governments&#8221;.</p>
<p>Frustrated that the flotilla had been thwarted by Greek authorities in its attempt to breach Israel&#8217;s sea blockade, French member of parliament Jean-Paul Lecoq said activists hoped to challenge the ban in European courts.</p>
<p>&#8220;This is a time for everybody to act responsibly,&#8221; Greek foreign ministry spokesman Grigoris Delavekouras said at a news briefing.</p>
<p>&#8220;We are at a critical juncture in the Middle East, where tension is running high,&#8221; the spokesman said.</p>
<p>He warned the activists against &#8220;any development that could lead to a deterioration of the regional climate or to uncontrollable situations that could threaten the lives of those wishing to take part in the operation.&#8221;</p>
<p><a href="http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=402381">Source</a></p>
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<li><strong>SPECIAL TOPIC | <a href="https://occupiedpalestine.wordpress.com/special-topics/flotilla-ii-the-armada/">FLOTILLA II</a></strong></li>
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