Our Neighbors Among Those Intercepted by the Israeli Occupation Forces Aboard the Global Sumud Flotilla
Kingston community members Brigid Slattery, Liam Henrie, and Fredrique Guevara-Pip, are missing after being intercepted on a humanitarian mission to break the siege on Gaza
Last night, Kingston community members Brigid Slattery, Liam Henrie, and Fredrique Guevara-Prip, aboard the Global Sumud Flotilla, a nonviolent humanitarian mission to break the siege on Gaza, were intercepted in international waters by the Israeli military off the coast of Crete. Their whereabouts are currently unknown. Family members and friends, alongside the Global Sumud Flotilla are now calling for widespread public pressure to be put on International bodies and Delegates to ensure their safe return.
On Sunday April 26th, a fleet of 58 boats representing 56 different countries departed from the port of Syracuse to deliver lifesaving aid to Palestinians in Gaza. Among them, Henrie and Slattery, crew members of the Hudson River Sloop, Clearwater, sailing aboard the Marea, and Guevara-Prip, a Harlem native and Hudson River watershed educator aboard the Eros. Henry and Slattery have both lived in Kingston for the past several years while working aboard the Clearwater.
Just days into the mission, the fleet was intercepted by IOF warships more than 600 nautical miles from the coast of Gaza. Earlier in the day, at approximately 18:55 UTC crew members had reported radio communication jamming, quickly followed by sightings of military vessels and a large number of drones. A party self-identified as the IOF contacted one of the boats in the fleet, ordering them to divert through Israeli controlled channels and warning them not to proceed towards Gaza and occupied Palestine. Both the Marea and Eros have been marked intercepted, as they have not been heard from for several hours. A video of the Eros at the time of interception was posted to the Global Sumud Flotilla social media page.
As of this morning, the GSF has confirmed that 22 boats were intercepted, and that most individuals have been taken into custody by the IOF. They issued a call for all National Delegation and Palestine supports to contact the Greek government and Greek embassies in their respective countries to request their support in ensuring the safety of the flotilla and its participants.
Upon capture, close friends and family members of the crew received SOS videos to be shared widely across social media in order to garner public awareness and demand their safe return.
A friend of our neighbors on board shared in a message urging for the public’s support. The source said, “It is imperative that the US government demand the release of the crew in its entirety, and discontinue this illegal kidnapping.”
Friends and family of the Hudson River based crew are compiling documents with call scripts, email templates, and contact information of public officials and delegates for community members to support by demanding the safety of those on board the flotilla. We are awaiting further communication to mobilize on this front. For now, they are encouraging community members to reach out to Congressman Pat Ryan, at 202-225-5614 to demand support for our neighbor’s safe return.
This is a developing story with updates and communications posted regularly to social media via the Global Sumud Flotilla.
Additional Resources
Archive of audio recordings and performances from Flotilla crew on Wavezaro.fm
Daniela Riviera, the journalist covering this story, participated in our Community Journalism class taught by Marigo Farr that just wrapped up this past Monday.
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Dani thank you for sharing this story!!
Thank you for writing on this! Is there any reason why we shouldn’t be sharing to Instagram and encouraging folks to call Pat Ryan (and/or other action items)?