Saturday, 24 September
Today is a busy admin day. We meet the Women’s Boat to Gaza participants who have arrived so far, some from home and some from the first 2 legs of the Zaytouna’s journey from Barcelona. They have travelled 700 nautical miles to get here. We go straight from the introductory meeting into a press conference. The Mayor of Messina comes to welcome us in his “Free Tibet†t-shirt. There are group photos to be taken, a couple of interviews and some more photos.
The plan for tonight is an opportunity for participants to give a longer testimony about why they are here. A number of locals come to engage with participants and a well-known band, with a Palestinian band member, performs. Some of the participants from WBG also perform either through music or testimony. It is a beautiful evening with participants. I go back to my room and write my diary entry. Tomorrow will be a long day so I get to bed early.
This post originally appeared on Middle East Monitor.
