Last Monday, the Flotilla ships were attacked in international waters by the Israeli army, and 430 crew members were rounded up and sent to colonial prisons. There, these captives were humiliated, beaten, tortured, and some were raped. Footage of the abuse was filmed and disseminated by the fascist Israeli minister Ben Gvir himself, spreading horror worldwide.

Finally, the flotilla members, most of them in a state of shock, were expelled from Israel under international pressure. But the ordeal doesn’t end there for some of them.

In the Basque Country, six activists who participated in the flotilla were greeted by their families at Bilbao airport on Saturday, May 23. Video footage shows them smiling at the welcome and relieved to be going home. The activists wore keffiyehs and waved the Basque flag as well as the Palestinian flag. But officers of the Ertzaintza, the Basque police force known for its violence, beat them on the ground and arrested two members of the flotilla, as their supporters looked on indignantly. Two people who had come to greet them were also taken into custody. All are accused of “undermining public authority.”

Thiago Avila, one of the flotilla’s spokespeople, explained: “When a family member tried to cross a barrier to embrace their loved ones, the Ertzaintza suddenly and shockingly responded with violence.” What should have been a moment of relief and family comfort was interrupted by even more brutality. The authorities claim that the activists “blocked” the arrival of other passengers. This filmed violence looks more like yet another humiliating operation against supporters of the Palestinian cause, even though some members of this Basque crew had already been injured in Israel.

The images of this repression in the middle of the airport have provoked a strong reaction on the other side of the Pyrenees. The Basque Minister of Security eventually expressed his “regrets” and called for an internal investigation.

The Israeli state, for its part, is delighted. The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs ironically tweeted, sharing the video of the crackdown in Bilbao: “We demand an explanation from the Spanish government regarding its treatment of the flotilla anarchists.” The political director of the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs denounced “the hypocrisy of the Spanish authorities who resort to extreme violence against these same flotilla participants.” State and colonial violence are mutually reinforcing and mutually reinforcing.

The Ertzaintza is known for its brutal policing. Its agents have also established links, through training, with the Israeli police and are equipped with Israeli surveillance technology.

On Sunday, May 24, a large demonstration brought together thousands of people in Bilbao to denounce police violence against the flotilla activists.

Machine translation