BREAKING: Greta Thunberg gives first public speech since Israeli kidnapping – video
Human rights and climate activist Greta Thunberg has spoken publicly for the first time after her kidnapping, detention, and abuse at the hands of the Israeli government:
Greta Thunberg released
As the Canary previously reported, on Saturday 4 October the Israeli occupation authorities deported 137 of the kidnapped international solidarity activists who participated in the Global Sumud Flotilla to break the humanitarian siege on Gaza, in the second deportation operation in a matter of days, after returning four Italians to their country on Friday 3 October.
One of the deported activists who arrived at Istanbul airport on Saturday recounted shocking details of what he described as ‘brutal assaults’ on some activists during their detention, telling reporters:
They dragged little Greta (Thunberg) by her hair in front of our eyes, beat her, and forced her to kiss the Israeli flag. They did everything imaginable to her as a warning to others.
She’s still a little kid. They made her suffer.
Separately, the Guardian reported that an email to Swedish authorities said Greta Thunberg was suffering from:
dehydration. She has received insufficient amounts of both water and food. She also stated that she had developed rashes which she suspects were caused by bedbugs. She spoke of harsh treatment and said she had been sitting for long periods on hard surfaces.
Meanwhile, other released activists spoke of similar degrading treatment.
Turkish activist Samanur Sonmaz Yaman, a member of the flotilla, recounts details of the occupation’s oppression and abuse of veiled women from the boats:
Occupation soldiers ripped off our headscarves during our arrest and took them from us, and our non-veiled friends gave us their shirts to cover our heads.
Ongoing Israeli violence
Adalah, the legal centre that monitors the cases of detainees, said that detention conditions at Ketziot prison in the Negev desert are ‘deteriorating alarmingly,’ amid reports of ill-treatment and violence against some detainees.
A spokesperson for the organisation said that it is difficult at this stage to provide a comprehensive assessment, but confirmed that the mistreatment primarily affects non-European detainees, especially those whose countries do not have diplomatic missions in Israel.
This incident is the latest chapter in the confrontation between Israel and the international solidarity flotillas that recently set sail in an attempt to break the blockade imposed on the Gaza Strip for more than 18 years, amid growing international warnings about targeting solidarity activists and civil society activists, and the deteriorating humanitarian situation in the Strip, which is suffering from famine and shortages of medicine and fuel.
Israel intercepted 40 ships in the Global Solidarity Flotilla that set sail to reach Gaza to break the blockade and deliver humanitarian aid amid the ongoing war of extermination on Gaza, which is now entering its third year.
Featured image via the Canary
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My admiration for Greta grows stronger all the time. let war criminals tremble, climate change deniers cower when faced with her voice and courage.
Agreed, the world needs Greta and many more just like her. If only world leaders were as brave as her. Well done to all those that were in the flotilla.
Respect to Greta and all the brave comrades who confront and defy the cruelty of the zionist entity.
The State of Israel has forfeited its right to exist.
Every. Single. Person. on that Flotilla were, and are, so. brave, especially knowing what they might face, & then actually doing so!
The treatment that Zionist Israel ILLEGALLY meted out, to every single captive from their Piracy – in International waters, which was, & IS 100% illegal – was a degrading, & deliberate, snub to ANYONE who might challenge them! 😡
That ALL Western Leaders have behaved as though Zionist Israel has only said a few bad words, rather than the forcible kidnapping,, & illegal removal, of each Nations’ own People, IN INTERNATIONAL WATERS, followed by degrading treatment of each person kidnapped, if not actual torture, of these kidnapped CIVILIAN captives, is appalling! 😡
That there is STILL, an utter silence from EVERY SINGLE WESTERN LEADER, over those who are STILL being held, totally illegally, through that forcible kidnapping into an illegal captivity, & with no word, whatsoever, as to their treatment BY Zionist Israel, is something that every single one of us should keep in mind, come Election Tme – if not sooner! 😡
As we don’t even know if those still being held, totally illegally, in captivity, are even alive, let alone free from even worse torture than they put Greta Thunburg through, I would urge EVERYONE to pressure your own Ministers to action, on their behalf, before the illegal, deliberate kidnapping of civilians, BY Zionist Israel, causes even MORE deaths, of completely innocent Civilians, kidnapped in international waters!
That this was done, in front of the Naval ships of TWO European Countries, with absolutely NOTHING done by them, to PREVENT this Piracy & Kidnapping – with even their OWN fellow Citizens being taken by this totally illegal act – should be a shame they should feel to the ends of their days! 😡
To sit by, & watch Piracy & Kidnapping, of so MANY Civilians, IN INTERNATIONAL WATERS & do absolutely NOTHING to prevent this, is obscene! 😡
SHAME ON EVERY SINGLE COUNTRY, THAT SAT BACK & WATCHED THIS HAPPEN, ALLOWING ZIONIST ISRAEL TO, ONCE AGAN, ACT WITH TOTAL IMPUNITY! 😡
Every single Leader, & Government, who stayed silent while this happened, are as guilty as the Rogue State, called Zionist Israel, of these same crimes! 😡
Complicity?
NO!
Utter & absolute sharing of the guilt of Zionist Israel’s continuing. MURDEROUS GENOCIDE of Innocent Men, Women, & Children? 😡
TOTALLY! 😡