Captain Arrested by Greek Authorities as U.S. Boat to Gaza Attempts to Leave Athens


The journey of The Audacity of Hope, the U.S. boat which was going to join an international flotilla attempting to break the blockade of Gaza this weekend, appears to have been very short lived. Not long after attempting to launch from Athens, the Hope's captain has been arrested by Greek authorities, according to the U.S. Boat to Gaza campaign. "Passengers remain on the ship in solidarity with the jailed captain and detained crew on boat," the campaign says, which also supplied the above dramatic video.

A similar flotilla last year resulted in the death of nine people, and a subsequent protest the next day in Israel led to Cooper Union student Emily Henochowicz losing an eye. The Hope launched today with both passengers who'd been part of last year's incident, like retired U.S. Army Colonel Ann Wright, as well as newcomers like The Color Purple novelist Alice Walker. Live tweets from the boat are  here and an audio feed from the boat (which seems to only be working in fits and starts) is here

sthrasher@villagevoice.com | @steven_thrasher

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