By Black Star News
Photos: Facebook\Wikimedia Commons
Saturday, Amazon Union labor leader, Christian Smalls, was beaten up and detained by Israeli Defense Forces soldiers because he, and others, boarded a humanitarian aid flotilla that was attempting to take supplies to the Palestinian people in Gaza.
Reportedly, Smalls was beaten more severely than any of the other 20 members of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition. Smalls was the only Black person present.
Smalls became infamous, in 2022, after he led a successful unionization effort of an Amazon factory in Staten Island. Smalls made history and was toasted by many organizations and some politicians, including by then President Joe Biden, at the White House.
The Freedom Flotilla Coalition said the following about the IDF’s treatment of Smalls: “When he reached the Israeli prison, U.S. human rights defender Chris Smalls was physically assaulted by seven uniformed individuals. They choked him and kicked him in the legs, leaving visible signs of violence on his neck and back. When his lawyer met with him, Chris was surrounded by six members of Israel’s special police unit. This level of force was not used against other abducted activists. We condemn this violence against Chris and demand accountability for the assault and discriminatory treatment he faced.”
Smalls, and the other Freedom Flotilla Coalition members, remain in the custody of the IDF.
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