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European Campaign and Freedom Flotilla's delegation in Brazil

The Delegation of the European Campaign to End the Siege on Gaza, the Freedom Flotilla and the Congress of European Palestinians for the Right of Return all arrived in Brazil Sunday, July 4th 2010.

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The Delegation of the European Campaign to End the Siege on Gaza, the Freedom Flotilla and the Congress of European Palestinians for the Right of Return all arrived in Brazil Sunday, July 4th 2010. These delegations were represented by Mohammad Hannoun, Mohammad Abdel Qader and Angela Lano respectively.

On 5 July, the delegations were in Porto Alegre, the capital of the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul, where they were received by the local Palestinian community - made up of professionals and traders - and Members of the Chamber of Deputy (Parliament) of the State.

In the evening the delegations attended a conference at the Parliament dedicated for Freedom Flotilla I and II that will be coming up soon.

MP Raul Carrion, from the PCdoB (Communist Party of Brazil), opened proceedings, followed by the colleague of Pt (Worker’s party headed by Lula), Adao Villaverde. Both have strongly condemned the Israeli attack against humanitarian Flotilla – which Carrion has described as "terrorist deed".

Angela Lano, the director of InfoPal online press agency and a member of Flotilla I, has retraced the events of the assault to the Flotilla and highlighted the violation of freedom of press by the Israeli army.

Mohammad Hannoun – delegate of ECESG and Api (Association of Palestinians in Italy) announced the preparations for the Flotilla II to the lawmakers and the audience. 

Mohammad Hannoun also highlighted before the Brazilian government the importance of having a ship in the fleet that sails under the Brazilian flag, as a tangible sign of solidarity and commitment.

On the 6th July, the European delegation was received by the head of the Arab-Palestinian society Khaled Naser Hilal and by Safy Muhammad Abu Hamra, an Arab embassy PR attaché, at the airport of Brasilia, federal capital of Brazil, and then was accompanied to the Palestinian Embassy by the consul Salah M. Elqataa.

On the morning of the 7th July, the European Campaign and Freedom Flotilla delegations participated to a conference with lecturers and students from the University of Brasilia, reporting about the Freedom Flotilla I trip and the preparations for the second mission.

In the afternoon, the delegates were received by the National Congress of Brazil – Chamber of Deputies and Federal Senate – joint by MP Nilson Mour?o, head of the Parliamentarian committee for the relations with the Arab countries.

On the 8th July, the European delegation was received by the Chamber of Deputies of the State of S?o Paulo, greeted by MP Jamil Mourad, and participated to a press conference with some journalists – among whom was the head of the Professional journalists' State union, José Augusto Camargo -, lawmakers and delegates from several movements – among which the MST (Movement of the Landless).

On Friday, 9th of July, the group visited the main mosque in the city, accompanied by the head of S?o Paulo's Fearab (Brazilian Arab Federation), Eduardo Felicio Elias, an orthodox Christian.

On the morning of the 11th July, shortly before leaving to Europe, the group met national senator Edoardo Matarazzo Suplicy.

There were many requests for membership at the next Flotilla. The trip was believed to be positive and its outcome was better than expected