“There was real talk about the possibility of fatalities” - Mikey Cullen on his Gaza flotilla experience
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What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
The Pat Kenny Show. With timber living log cabins. Saturday and Sunday from 10am on Newstalk. Conversation that counts. International attention has been on Gaza once again after a flotilla of activists attempting to deliver aid was intercepted in international waters by Israeli forces, with hundreds detained and later deported via Turkey. Several of the Irish participants have now returned home and some have spoken about what they described as violent and degrading treatment while in custody. One of those involved in the flotilla was Dublin poet and musician and indeed teacher, Mikey Cullen. And he joins me now. Mikey, good morning. Good morning, Pat. Last time you were in the studio, you were performing for me.
What sparked international attention on Gaza recently?
I was. You were doing poetry, which was fantastic. And you were combining that with a life in teaching. Yes. Okay. How are both going?
Both are going very well. The last year I've been making a living more from my artistry than the teaching. I was doing a little bit of homeschool teaching with one student and I was able to get him sorted to embark on the flotilla. So I was in a good position that I didn't have to leave too many duties or responsibilities behind to have the two months to go and do the mission. So why did you go? I went. It could be a very long-winded answer, but really, for me, I just felt like I needed to do more. I've studied history all my life. I studied it at an undergrad level, and I teach it in secondary schools. And I think having a knowledge of history informs one that... When it is occurring in front of you, you can see the patterns and the signs and I feel it's a duty that we do take a responsibility in the shaping of our society and our world.
I just felt impelled to do more for the Palestinians but also for us as Irish people as well, you know.
Now, you knew what the end would be, I presume, even as you embarked on the voyage.
No, not necessarily. Like, the onus and the responsibility isn't on, oh, well, what did you expect?
What was Mikey Cullen's role in the Gaza flotilla?
Israel had no right to stop us. But you knew they probably would. But that's still, the blame is still with them rather than us. They have no right to blockade Gaza for the last 18 years. They have no right to attack us, kidnap us and torture us off the coast of Greece. And neither did they have the right, if we were on the beach in Gaza, to stop us. Nor did they have the right to genocide Palestine, ethnically cleanse Palestine or anything they've done. They don't have the right, but they do it with impunity. Because the cowardice and moral failure of world leaders, including the Irish government.
Now, tell me about the moments coming up to the boarding of your vessel. What happened? They opened fire on my ship.
We were the first ship that they opened fire on. It wasn't scary at the time. Looking back, it definitely is. It happened so quickly, they didn't tell us to stop. They just pulled up alongside the boat and unloaded a magazine. At the time, we didn't know, was it live bullets or were they rubber bullets? It has turned out to be rubber bullets, but we didn't know. And, you know, before we actually left Turkey, our last port, before going to Gaza, there was real talk of the possibility of fatalities because Israel, within their own media and propaganda, were manufacturing consent for violence against us. So when they opened fire, in my head, I did think, oh, OK, it's our boat who are going to be murdered by these people.
No, in the event you were taken captive. Kidnapped, yeah. Yeah. And then what happened?
They brought us to a prison ship. When we arrived onto the prison ship, we ran this gauntlet where they bed everyone up. They were hitting us. We were cable-tied at this point from when the Israelis, the IOF, were on my sailboats. We were cable-tied. They manhandled us with our head down the hallway in. They put me on this kind of cattle rack type of thing and... get down, bet me on top of the head, stand back up, pull me by my head, get down, just to welcome to the prison ship type of thing for them, I suppose, just to degrade you.
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Chapters
5 chapters
1
What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
0:01–0:42
2
What sparked international attention on Gaza recently?
0:42–1:56
3
What was Mikey Cullen's role in the Gaza flotilla?
1:56–4:34
4
Why did Mikey Cullen feel compelled to join the flotilla?
4:34–10:15
5
What happened during the boarding of the vessel?
10:15–11:38