From the moment the arrivals screens at Lisbon Airport announced the arrivals of the flight carrying the activists, the supporters, who quickly grew from about three dozen to about three hundred, began shouting slogans such as "Palestine Will Live" and "Long live the struggle of the Palestinian people."

Left Bloc coordinator Mariana Mortágua, actress Sofia Aparício, and activists Miguel Duarte and Diogo Chaves were detained in Israel from Wednesday night to Thursday, when Israeli forces intercepted approximately 50 vessels from the Sumud Global Flotilla, which was intended to deliver humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip.


Waving Palestinian flags and scarves, the protesters held signs with slogans such as "Free Palestine" and "Thank you Marina, Sofia, Diogo, and Miguel for representing us."

Present were former and current Left Bloc leaders such as Francisco Louçã, Catarina Martins, Luís Fazenda, Jorge Costa, and others.

The Portuguese arrived in Madrid around 8:20 pm (one hour behind Lisbon time) as part of a group of 29 activists: four Portuguese, 21 Spanish, and four Dutch.

Representing the government, the activists are received in Lisbon by the Secretary of State for Portuguese Communities, Emídio Sousa.

Portuguese citizens, along with more than 450 activists of various nationalities, were taken by Israeli authorities to a detention center in the Negev Desert in southern Israel after their vessels were intercepted by the Israeli Navy on the high seas.