MEDIA ADVISORY

Date: September 27, 2025 Contact: Hay Sha Wiÿa, FFC Press Officer WhatsApp: +1 210-834-8155 media@freedomflotilla.org thousand.madleens@proton.me REGISTER FOR ZOOM ATTENDANCE: https://zoom.us/j/95529345646?pwd=ZyAHlz4BBetHtbzcL9SwOb4M7DSkbn.1

Catania, Italy, 27 September 2025

The Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) and Thousand Madleens to Gaza (TMTG) will launch a flotilla of 10 boats on Saturday, 27 September 2025 from San Giovanni Li Cuti harbour, Catania, Sicily, Italy.

The nearly 70 citizens on board, from 20+ nationalities and all ages, gender, race and creed, are reinforced by 9 elected officials from the Belgian, Danish, European Union, Irish, French, Spanish and U.S. parliaments who carry the voices of their constituents with them.

For almost two years, Israel has relentlessly bombarded Gaza, maiming and murdering Palestinians, deliberately starving children to death, targeting journalists, hospitals and health care workers, and displacing families dozens of times. Every day, Palestinians are killed while global governments arm and shield Israel from their crimes. This flotilla sails at this moment of profound urgency.

This wave of boats follows the Madleen, Handala, and the dozens of boats that the FFC has sailed over the past 15 years, as well as the vessels of the Global Sumud Flotilla — all of which the Israeli military has repeatedly attacked. Together, these civilian missions signal that the demand to end Israel’s blockade cannot be silenced or deterred.

“Every boat we launch is a direct challenge to the blockade and a declaration of solidarity. We sail not as charity, but as part of the global struggle to end apartheid and affirm the right of the Palestinian people to live free.” Joint statement from FFC and TMTG.

Join us online or in person at our Press Conference:

Date and Time: Saturday, 27 September 2025 at 14h30

Location: San Giovanni Li Cuti harbour, Catania CT, Italy

All accredited media are invited to attend. For those unable to join in person, a Zoom link will be provided upon request. Please RSVP to: thousand.madleens@proton.me

The press conference will include opportunities to interview volunteers and elected officials.

Possible interviews include:

Farida Amrani – is a Moroccan-born French trade unionist and politician from La France Insoumise. She has been a Member of Parliament since 2022.Mélissa Camara – Member of the European Parliament (Greens/EFA, France). She brings a background in political activism and environmental / social justice, and has taken a public stand on human rights and ecological issues.Alma Dufour – Alma Dufour is a French Member of Parliament (since 2022) from La France Insoumise. She has a long background in activism both for environmental and social causes.Barry Heneghan – (Barra Ó hÉanaíchain) is an Irish independent who has been a MP (Teachta Dála) for the Dublin Bay North constituency since 2024.Jimena González – Spanish academic and politician of the party Más Madrid, elected in 2023. She was the first transgender person to run for election under a preferred given name rather than a legal given nameBénédicte Linard – Member of the Walloon Parliament and Minister in the French Community of Belgium, previously Minister of Childhood, Health, Culture, Media and Women’s Rights.Ellen Read – New Hampshire State Representative for Newmarket.Victoria Velasquez – Member of the Folketing (Danish Parliament) for the Red-Green political Alliance. She’s also a spokesperson on immigration and a vocal advocate for social justice.Claude Girod – Mandated by Confédération Paysanne, member of Via Campesina, present in 81 countries. She’s known for fighting against free trade and defending peasant agriculture.Pierre-Yves Dermagne – Belgian politician who served as Minister of Economy and Employment in the De Croo Government led by Prime Minister Alexander De Croo between 2020 and 2025.Karim Ali – Co-founder of ‘The Gaza Sunbirds‘ with Alaa al-Dali, a para-cycling team based in Gaza, Palestine.Youssef Swatt‘s – Belgian-Algerian rapper, author, producer, and winner of the third season of Netflix’s « Nouvelle École » in 2024, Youssef is recognized for his poetic writing and blending old-school and new-school rap.Assa Traoré – One of France’s most prominent campaigners for racial justice, Assa is a French-Malian activist and leader of the Truth and Justice for Adama Committee (named after her brother, Adama Traoré, who died in police custody).

The post FFC and Thousand Madleens Launch Next Wave of Boats to Gaza appeared first on Freedom Flotilla.

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