In a letter to Lula, artists and social movements ask the government to help protect a flotilla heading to the Gaza Strip.
The document has over 350 signatures and was drafted following attacks on boats, with the dropping of at least 14 stun grenades and chemical weapons.
247 - Politicians, artists, academics and social movements sent an appeal to President Lula this Sunday (28) for his government to guarantee the protection of the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF), an international initiative that seeks to break the illegal blockade of the Gaza Strip and bring humanitarian aid to the Palestinians. The report was published in Jamil Chade's column.
The GSF brings together approximately 600 participants from 44 countries on about 50 vessels, including 15 Brazilian vessels. The letter has more than 350 signatures. It emerged after attacks on boats, with the launching of at least 14 stun grenades and chemical agents on September 23rd.
The coalition in solidarity with Gaza is formed by names such as Chico Buarque, Chico César, rapper GOG, Bela Gil, Mel Lisboa, Aline Borges, writer Milton Hatoum, and Father Julio Lancelotti. They also call for the Lula government to adopt sanctions against Israel and to move towards a rupture of diplomatic relations. Carol Proner, Vladimir Safatle, Paulo Sérgio Pinheiro, Luis Nassif, Luiza Erundina, Eduardo Suplicy, and José Dirceu also signed the petition.
According to the Gaza Strip's Ministry of Health, more than 66 Palestinians have died as a result of Israeli attacks since October 2023. On August 22, the UN said that more than half a million people in Gaza were starving. It was the first time famine had been declared in the Middle East. By the end of September, more than 640 people will face "catastrophic" levels of food insecurity, classified as Phase 5 of the IPC, across the Gaza Strip, the United Nations warned.
The coalition called on the Brazilian government to "impose sanctions on Israel, leading to the rupture of all relations with the genocidal state." Movements such as MST, MTST, and CUT are also part of the initiative, as well as parliamentarians such as Sâmia Bomfim (PSOL-SP), Érika Kokay (PT-DF), Fernanda Melchionna (PSOL-RS), Congressman Glauber Braga (PSOL-RJ), and Congressman João Daniel (PT-SE).
"The hearts and minds of most people in the world are with our historic mission," urged Brazilian activist Thiago Ávila, international organizer of the Global Sumud Flotilla, directly from the Flotilla. "The total invasion of Gaza City continues at an accelerated pace, and we will continue to sail to break the siege and open a humanitarian corridor to Gaza, carrying all the aid we can. Follow us and rise up for an end to the genocide."
