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| Port of Call-Piraeus,Greece-June 3rd |
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| The Parthenon, symbol of ancient western civilization |
Peace Boat made a one-day port of call in Piraeus, Greece for a short and busy visit to the land of the Acropolis and moussaka and where we picked up a group of 17 Peace Boat participants back from an attempted overland tour to Palestine. Aside from visiting the 2500 year old Acropolis, home to the great Parthenon and other notable accomplishments of human history, the main event of the day was a protest march to the Israeli Embassy by about 120 participants. For others, a day in the pleasant port city of Piraeus or the tourist filled old town of Athens offered a chance to relax over a good coffee and watch the particular personality of life that is Greece pass by. |
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| The Peace marchers gathered in front of the Israeli embassy |
While we sailed from Safaga, Egypt to Greece a group of 17 participants attempted a four-day overland tour to Palestine to observe first hand what people there were going through under the Israeli Army's offensive into the West Bank and Gaza and to offer aid. While only a month earlier a Peace Boat group from Tokyo had made it into the West Bank to visit the ruined city of Jenin, this group was denied entry into the country upon arrival to Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv. After refusing to give reason for the denial of entry and deportation, when the Peace Boat group pushed for an explanation they were met with clear threats of violence by security officers if they did not board the next plane for Athens, Greece. |
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| Two members of the General Union of Palestinian Students |
Once in Athens, about 100 Peace Boat participants met the group and a number of representatives of the General Union of Palestinian Students either studying or living in Greece as refugees. Together the group marched past the American Embassy to the Israeli Embassy to present a letter of protest concerning the occupation of and violence in Palestine, an apology for the treatment and threat of violence against the group as well as explanation and compensation for travel expenses. While the goal of visiting Palestine remains to be achieved, members of the group felt that the trip was not a complete failure, as for a few short hours they were able to experience vividly the harsh treatment that the Palestinian people have been experiencing for decades. |
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| Roasting nuts in the old town area of Athens, in the shadow of the Acropolis |
After a hot day in the sun participants clambered back onboard with olive oil, wine, cheese, baklava and other goodies under a setting sun for the evening's departure for Dubrovnik, Croatia. While only in this beautiful, flavorful country with great personality for part of a day we were able to see some of human-kind's great architectural accomplishments and many among us were able to experience for the first time the effort and satisfaction of walking through the streets with a message for a good cause, a kind of political participation we hope participants will take back to Japan and make good use of. |
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| Peace Boat's
37th Voyage |
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PEACE BOAT is an NGO in Special Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations. |
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