The Balearic Islands protest the attack on the humanitarian flotilla

PalmThe citizens of the Balearic Islands gathered this Thursday afternoon in front of the island's town halls to show support for the Sumud Global Flotilla and express solidarity with Gaza. The demonstrations were called after The Israeli army intercepted the humanitarian boats about 70 miles off the coast of Gaza.It should be noted that the official number of Palestinians killed at the hands of the Israeli army now exceeds 66,000, including more than 20,000 children – some estimates provide higher figures.

Protests took place in front of the town halls of several municipalities in the Balearic Islands. In Palma, people gathered in the Plaza de Cort with banners bearing anti-Zionist and pro-Palestinian messages. Those in attendance from all the municipalities condemned the actions of the State of Israel and demanded intervention by the Spanish and European authorities. Among the members of the Flotilla were the Mallorcans Lucía Muñoz, Alejandra Martínez and Reyes Rigo.

In Ibiza, the protest took place on the Vara de Rei promenade and drew more than 500 people. In Menorca, the rally took place in the town hall square in Mahon, where around 400 people attended. In the smaller Pitiusas, the rally took place at 5 p.m. in the Plaza de la Constitució, where around 100 people attended.

There have been demonstrations in most of Mallorca's municipalities, including Petra, Costitx, Algaida, Lloret, Santa Eugenia, Montuïri, Andratx, Felanitx, Bunyola, Maria de la Salut, and Deià.

In Manacor, some 200 people gathered in the Plaza del Convent. Members of the organizing and supporting groups, such as Manacor con Palestina, Asamblea Antipatriarcal, Embate, and Neura, unfurled a banner in front of the City Hall as a show of support for the Palestinian people and against the genocide Israel has been committing for months.

"Israel kills, Europe sponsors," "Zionism and capital, a criminal alliance," "Solidarity is our best weapon," "Manacor is anti-Zionist," and "Boycott Israel!" were some of the slogans chanted by the residents in attendance, including representatives from the city's Muslim community.

The organizing entities, Marches for Palestine Mallorca and the Global Movement in Gaza Mallorca, have emphasized that the protest seeks to denounce a flagrant violation of international law.

A united manifesto was read in various locations, in which they exclaimed that "since Israel has become a genocidal state that relentlessly commits acts of terrorism," they demanded that the Spanish government "sever all relations out of dignity, regardless of the cost and interests." Other wars, such as those in Ukraine and Sudan, were also commemorated during the events.

The manifesto also demanded that the Spanish government sever all trade relations with Israel, "regardless of the consequences." It criticized the supposed peace agreement reached between the United States and the Netanyahu government, describing it as "cruel sarcasm to get away with crimes." It also called for the release of the three detained Mallorcan women who were part of the flotilla.

Less Tourism More Life

The Less Tourism More Life platform and the SET network (Southern Europe against Touristification) also They have condemned the interception of the vessels who were part of the flotilla that was intended to break the illegal blockade that Israel has imposed on the Gaza Strip. As they stressed, since they were already "make clear on June 15 in the massive mobilization in Palma"Their struggle is for a dignified life, and there is no dignified life while on the other side of the Mediterranean the illegitimate state of Israel is committing genocide against the Palestinian people."

The demonstrations will continue. For now, today, Friday, October 3, at 6:30 p.m., another one against the presence of the American military ship Gerald R. Ford, the world's largest nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, in Palma. On Sunday, October 5th, at 6 pm in Palma's Plaza de las Columnas, there will be a united demonstration under the slogan "To resist is to exist: a total break with Zionism."

The Teachers' Association also expresses its solidarity with Palestine.

The Professional Association of Teachers of the Balearic Islands has also expressed solidarity and condemnation of the genocide. "Committed to the defense of human dignity and human rights, we firmly and emphatically condemn the grave situation suffered by the civilian population in the Gaza Strip," they stated in a statement on Friday.

"This space has become a space where human rights violations are seen daily and where the extinction of life is extinguished in a planned manner," they lament.

"More than 66,000 people in the Gaza Strip have been murdered by a government that has not hesitated to kill children, women and people who have little or nothing to do with the Hamas group. Many of these people are still buried under tons of rubble from bombed and melted buildings.

In this sense, they consider that what is happening in Gaza "is not a conventional humanitarian crisis, it is the systematic destruction of a people and their environment. The Gaza Strip has become an extermination camp where human rights, health, and the dignity of people have been destroyed." They have also appealed for recognition by the United Nations, which has indicated that the actions committed by Israel "scrupulously meet the legal and moral criteria of genocide." Therefore, the Teachers' Association has shown support for the Palestinian population suffering the harshness of this genocide, has demanded international recognition of the genocide committed against the Palestinian people, and has urged schools in the Balearic Islands to facilitate training activities for students and teachers to understand the origins and circumstances of this path, and to raise awareness in each local environment.

"As teachers, we want to remember that the UN Sustainable Development Goals are part of our curriculum and directly challenge us," they point out. "That is why we invite schools in the Balearic Islands to generate spaces for reflection and analysis. and solidarity so that students become aware of the value of peace, the defense of human rights, and the need to build a more just world," they noted in the statement.