On Sunday, September 28th, at 7:30 am, a kayak flotilla, in solidarity with the boat fleet of activists currently attempting to sail to Gaza with humanitarian aid, set sail from East End beach over to Fort Gorges. Along with other ships participating in the flotilla, these protesters unfurled large banners reading “Stop Amring Genocide” and hung them on the side of Fort Gorges. Fort Gorges, an old Civil War fort and now a public historical site, has not been the target of significant protests like this before, drawing lots of attention. The Maine Coalition for Palestine says that, “We’ve protested. We’ve marched. We’ve rallied, and none of it is moving fast enough”. Attitudes from those on the working waterfront are mixed. Sentiment from a local captain who runs boat tours is that, despite your feelings on the message, Fort Gorges is not the place for a political message. “It’s not that I don’t agree with the message, it’s just, why take a beautiful historical site and dirty it with politics?” says the local captain. Others around the dock seem to agree.
But is that location not the point? Firstly, deciding that the fort is not the place for a political message is ironic, considering it was originally built for the Civil War. It’s an incredibly public place; any boats entering and exiting Portland, including the large cruise ship that came in that morning, will see it. The protesters feel that they are past the point of decorum, and putting the banner up on public land is completely within the protesters' rights, despite calls for them to be charged with trespassing.
The effectiveness and tact of the protest are certainly up for debate. But the protesters are certainly past the point of being polite, focusing on the 66,000 casualties since the start of the war, instead of how they appear to others. It’s past the time for polite protest; if they aren’t getting in the way, they aren’t being effective enough. With the future of free speech seeming in flux at the moment, keeping a pulse on the current protests and demonstrations is more important than ever.
Sources:
Portland Press Herald “Casco Bay protesters hope Gaza flotilla will help turn tide”
WGME “Mainers launch sea parade in Casco Bay to protest Gaza conflict and promote peace”
Maine Voices for Palestinian Rights ‘Solidarity Flotilla for Gaza”