Dozens of anti-Israel activists attempted to barge into the Israeli consulate in Boston over the weekend in protest over Israel's seizure of the Canadian-Irish flotilla ships that attempted to sail to Gaza. Bearing PA flags, the activists attempted to storm the building but were turned back. They swore to return, shouting slogans about how the “apartheid regime in Israel must fall.”
The activists were “spillovers” from the Occupy Boston protests, one of many Occupy Wall Street protests, some with anti- Semitic undertones, being held in the U.S. demanding social justice. At least three people have been arrested on drug charges in the protests over the past several days, and police report numerous knife fights between homeless individuals who are participating in the protests. Police also report a significant rise in vandalism in downtown Boston.
Meanwhile, six of the flotilla members who were arrested Friday were released on Saturday night. One of the detainees was an Israeli citizen, Mag'id Ca'il, an Arab from Haifa. He was interviewed by a correspondent of Iranian television who accompanied by the flotilla. In the interview, he claimed he was threatened by IDF soldiers.
Police have been arranging for the deportation of the flotilla members, but several of them told reporters Saturday night that they were refusing to leave Israel. The activists said that they preferred to remain in prison in Israel and go to court in order to make their opinions heard, than to leave voluntarily.