tagged: Agios Nikolaos, Canadian boat to gaza, Crete, escape attempt, flotilla2, Greece, pictures, ship to gaza, Tahrir

Flotilla2 to Gaza: The Canada Boat Escape Attempt in Pictures (excl)

Posted by keeptalkinggreece in Ship to Gaza

This is a KTG Exclusive Story! The “Tahrir”, the Canadian ship, part of the Flotilla-2 to Gaza Strip, made an attempt on Monday afternoon to break the Greek blockade and set sail to Gaza. The journey was short as the Greek coastal guard prohibited the Tahrir to leave the port of Agios Nikolaos on island of Crete. At the very end,  the Tahrir was forced to dock again and according to latest reports two passengers-activists were detained and are currently in the harbourmaster’ office (@CanadaBoatGaza on Twitter). Activists praised the efforts of Mayor of Agios Nikolaos to negotiate between the coastal guard and the activists on the boat.

Tony, a KTG-Reader, was at the port of Agios Nikolaos watching the dramatic escape. He sent us his report and some pictures he took:

The Gaza protest boat that has been moored in Agios Nikoloas Marina on Crete for the past week made a dramatic escape attempt today, right under the noses of the port police and the coastguard. At 6pm (Monday 4th July) the protest boat started her engines, backed rapidly out of her berth and steamed at full speed out to sea. The port police and the coastguard were caught completely by surprise and they ran to the coastguard cutter as the Gaza boat pulled away. Two men in sea kayaks attempted to interfere with the coastguard vessel and prevent it from leaving but they were largely ineffective.

A sea chase then ensued, the coastguard cutter quickly caught up to the Gaza protest boat but seemed unable to stop it. The coastguard vessel made several passes in front of the Gaza boat and, although she changed course often she would not stop. Through binoculars we could see people jumping off the Gaza boat into the sea, the coastguard boat, and a coastguard rib that rushed out a little later, appeared to change course several times to pick people up from the water. All this was happening about a mile off shore.

Eventually it seems the Gaza boat was boarded by the coastguard and she seemed to stop in the water for several minutes. After some time she then began to make her way slowly towards the main port of Agios Nikolaos escorted by the coastguard boat and the rib. When she was only a few hundred metres off the island of Agios Pantes, about half a mile outside the port of Agios Nikolaos, she seemed to stop dead in the water. The wind then began to carry her towards the rocky shore of the island. We assume she either stopped her engines or they were sabotaged on purpose.

The coastguard vessel got a line aboard the Gaza boat and held her off the island whilst the a tug steamed out to bring her in. The Gaza boat eventually returned to Agios Nikolaos under tow and escorted by the coastguard boat and the rib. As she docked on the cruise ship quay they people on the Gaza boat were shouting “free Gaza” and “wake up Greece”.

On Sunday, July 3, Tony had sent us another e-mail reporting:

We also have a Gaza protest boat here in Agios Nikolaos Marina on Crete (the Tabrir). They were also planning to leave port on Friday but the port police arrived in force and ordered them not to. They also placed the coastguard cutter in the entrance of the marina to be sure they could not leave. There was a lot of shouting and chanting by the passengers but there was no trouble and the ship did not attempt to leave. 

This morning the coastguard cutter was moved from her usual berth in the marina and moored right next to the Tabrir, presumably to be able to stop them leaving should they try to break out. The Tabrir hasn’t a hope of getting away though, to reach Gaza from here they have to sail around the north-eastern tip of Crete. The port of Sitia, close to the north-eastern tip of Crete, also has a fast coastguard cutter and they would easily be able to intercept them.

If they had really wanted to slip away from Crete quickly they would have left Crete from the port of Ierapetra on the south coast!

The skipper who was due to take the boat to Gaza was left on the quay in the marina. We were told that a senator from Belgium had flown in to take charge of the vessel, presumably because he (or she?) will have diplomatic immunity.

I’m attaching some photos I took as the Gaza boat was towed in to port.

All pictures (except the last one) were taken on July 4th, 2011. The last picutre was taken on July 1st.

Thanks a lot, Tony!