by Ana Vračar
Jun 10, 2025
More than 150,000 people took to the streets across Europe, demanding an end to Israel’s Gaza blockade and condemning the assault on the vessel “Madleen”
Tens of thousands of people joined protests across Europe demanding the release of the Freedom Flotilla crew aboard the vessel Madleen and calling on their governments to take immediate action to ensure the delivery of essential supplies to the Gaza Strip. Demonstrations took place in dozens of cities across Britain, Germany, Greece, the Netherlands, Spain, France, and beyond, just hours after Israeli occupation forces abducted Madleen and confiscated its humanitarian cargo.
Protesters condemned the silence of European governments and institutions regarding the flotilla’s mission and the crew’s ordeal, warning that they once again failed to hold Israel accountable for its violations of international law. Demonstrations highlighted the many layers of such complicity: from heads of state who failed to act as elected officials were unlawfully detained by Israeli authorities, to the complete inaction regarding the entry of food, medicine, and other critical supplies into Gaza.
“The British government has so far done nothing more than issue weak statements in the face of Israel’s genocide,” the British Palestine Coalition stated. “We call on the British government to condemn the interception of the Madleen, which was sailing under a British flag.”
France humiliated by Macron’s inaction
Some of the strongest protests and harshest criticism came from France, where an estimated 150,000 people mobilized in support of the Freedom Flotilla and its mission. Nearly 50,000 gathered in Paris alone, denouncing President Emmanuel Macron and Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot for failing to take action to protect French citizens aboard the ship. While diplomats from other countries exercised their right to contact crew members, France Unbowed questioned how long it took French institutions to do the same. “The French government is incapable of condemning their [French volunteers] arrest and securing their release. Shame on it,” party members posted on social media on Tuesday.
Left leaders including Mathilde Panot, Manuel Bompard, and Jean-Luc Mélenchon rebuked Macron for abandoning the volunteers – among them MEP Rima Hassan – without adequate protection. “France’s stance must be clear: Israel has no right to impose any conditions on their release. It must happen immediately and unconditionally,” Bompard stated.
The demonstrations also countered mainstream media claims suggesting crew members had “refused repatriation.” Progressive groups identified these reports as part of a broader demonization campaign pushed by Israeli media and authorities, which has attempted to discredit Madleen as a “selfie boat” used for personal publicity. In truth, according to the Freedom Flotilla, several activists – four of whom are French, including Hassan – refused to sign deportation papers that falsely stated they had entered Israel illegally and would accept a 100-year travel ban to Israeli territory.
The European chain of complicity in Israel’s crimes
Protests were also held in countries not represented among Madleen’s crew, with demonstrators demanding their governments take action against Israeli crimes. “If Israel can assault activists from around the world in international waters, it is because our governments are complicit,” Giuliano Granato of Potere al Popolo wrote on X, as rallies took place in several Italian cities. “The problem is not just Netanyahu, but the whole chain of complicity, from governments to the military-industrial complex to the media powers that act as companions to the genocide.”
“We are here not only to demand the release of the hostages but also to insist that humanitarian aid be unblocked,” added Marta Collot of Potere al Popolo at a separate demonstration. “We are demanding accountability from the Italian government, not only for this situation, but for what is happening in Palestine more broadly, including the need to sever all academic, political, and economic ties with the state of Israel.”
Mobilizations in support of Madleen’s remaining crew members and in solidarity with the people of Gaza are expected to continue in the days ahead. These protests coincide with broader efforts to break the siege imposed by Israeli occupation forces, as well as anti-militarization demonstrations leading up to next week’s NATO summit.
We remind our readers that publication of articles on our site does not mean that we agree with what is written. Our policy is to publish anything which we consider of interest, so as to assist our readers in forming their opinions. Sometimes we even publish articles with which we totally disagree, since we believe it is important for our readers to be informed on as wide a spectrum of views as possible.
