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It's intended to be a Ship from Gaza. Activists are building it to help break Israel's export blockade.
Thirty doves were also on board. They symbolize peace. Activists planned to release them on arrival in Gaza. They never got a chance.
Israel army spokesperson Avital Leibovich lied about the ship's cargo. "There was no humanitarian equipment on board, excepting maybe the wheelchairs," she said. "All the talk about humanitarian aid is a lie and a provocation."
Doing the right thing can be hazardous. On June 30, 2009, Israeli commandos intercepted the Free Gaza Movement's Spirit of Humanity in international waters. Its humanitarian cargo was seized. So were 21 activists on board.
They included Nobel Peace laureate Mairead Maguire and former Congresswoman/Green Party presidential candidate Cynthia McKinney. They were threatened and forcibly taken to Ashdod. They were held incommunicado under horrific conditions.
Ramle Prison is cockroach-infested. Many inside had no beds. They were forced to sleep on a cement floor. Overcrowding made things painfully uncomfortable for everyone.
Armed soldiers guarded them. Their personal possessions were confiscated. After several days, they were taken to Ashdod's central bus station with no money or belongings. They were left there on their own. They were treated like criminals for doing the right thing.
McKinney was prisoner number 88794 at Ramle Prison. It's known as one of Israel's harshest. It's a former British police station. It's a stinking hellhole. McKinney described her ordeal, saying:
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