Oct 09, 2025

Carrying Courage Across the Sea: The Gaza Flotilla with Greta Thunberg

#GretaWithGaza #GazaFlotilla #EndTheBlockade #WeAreAllPalestine #FromTheRiverToTheSea

In a world overflowing with headlines, there are moments that still manage to pierce through the noise.

This was one of them.

A small fleet of boats—modest, peaceful, unarmed—set sail toward Gaza carrying food, medicine, solar panels, and messages of solidarity. But this time, one passenger’s name brought a tidal wave of attention:

Greta Thunberg.

Why Did Greta Join the Gaza Flotilla?

The climate justice icon, known for challenging world leaders over their failure to act, has always said:

“No one is too small to make a difference.”

This time, she chose to use her voice to amplify a different crisis—the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, unfolding under siege, bombardment, and starvation.

By joining the flotilla, Greta reminded the world:

“Justice is not selective. You cannot claim to care about the planet while ignoring genocide on its land.”

Her presence was a shock to those who had grown comfortable ignoring Gaza. And it was a lifeline of visibility for those trapped inside it.

A Fleet of Hope, Intercepted by Fear

Though the flotilla was peaceful and humanitarian, it was swiftly intercepted in international waters by Israeli naval forces.

But stopping the boats didn’t stop the message.

On social media, in town squares, and in solidarity marches across Europe, people shouted in support:

“Let Gaza Live!”
“Aid Is Not a Crime!”
“We Are All Palestine!”

And thousands of supporters began to ask the question:

“If Greta can risk arrest for Gaza… what am I doing?”

Visible Solidarity: The Message Doesn’t Sink

In London, activists gathered in front of the Israeli embassy wearing “We Will Not Stop. We Will Not Rest. Until Liberation.” hoodies and “We Are All Palestine” t-shirts from FreePalestineStore.com. They chanted, held signs reading “Greta, We Sail With You”, and projected messages onto embassy walls.

Among them was Yasmeen, a nurse from Leeds whose cousin remains in Rafah:

“Wearing my hoodie felt like armour,” she told us. “I couldn’t be on the boat, but I could show up here. Greta lit the flame—now it’s our turn to carry it.”

What the Flotilla Achieved

Despite being physically blocked, the flotilla succeeded in what governments haven’t:

Re-centering Gaza in public discourse
Pressuring political figures to speak up or be called out
Connecting movements—from climate justice to anti-apartheid resistance
Inspiring action beyond passive support

This was not just a humanitarian convoy—it was a political confrontation with complicity.

And in that sense, the flotilla reached Gaza—because it reached millions of people’s hearts.

What Comes Next?

We keep sailing.

Not just in boats, but in classrooms, in protests, in voting booths, on screens, and in what we wear.

Every hoodie that reads “Until Liberation”, every t-shirt that reads “We Are All Palestine”, every piece of merchandise that carries the cause forward—is another vessel in this fleet of resistance.