Activist battered by Israel Flies Home Sydney 5pm

Photos and videos of Ethan can be found here. Photos and videos of his arrival at the airport will be uploaded to this google drive this evening.

Australian humanitarian volunteer Ethan Floyd returns home today after being illegally kidnapped and abused by Israeli forces in international waters west of Crete while attempting to deliver life-saving aid to Gaza. Meanwhile, Israel continues to kill Palestinians, and deny media, and humanitarian access to Gaza.

Ethan will be reunited with his family and will speak publicly for the first time since their release. Ethan will also be available for interviews on Tuesday and Wednesday, please reach out to our media contacts to arrange an interview.

Speakers:

• Ethan Floyd: Flotilla participant
• Marissa Floyd: Ethan’s mother
• Imam Sheikh Wissam Charkawi: Prominent Australian Muslim leader
• Senator Mehreen Faruqi: Deputy Leader of the Australian Greens
• Sue Higginson: Greens NSW MLC
• Jenny Leong: Greens NSW MP
• Shovan Bhattrai: Students For Palestine

MEDIA CONTACTS
Yasmine Johnson: 0427 247 418
Subhi Awad: 0408 760 991 
Alexa Stuart: 0423 36 030

Ethan Floyd: “I joined the flotilla because civilians in Gaza are being cut off from the basics of life - food, medicine, water - and governments have failed to stop that suffering. If harm is being done in our name, ordinary people have to step in and act.”

"Israel brutally and illegally attacked unarmed humanitarians more than 1,000km from Gaza to stop food reaching starving people. That's a government determined to kill Palestinians and is consistent with genocide.

“I witnessed people being shot with pellets. I witnessed people being thrown to the ground, dragged along the ground by their limbs, people being forced to listen to the shouts and screams of people who were being beaten.”

Ethan Floyd - Media Bio

Ethan Floyd is a Wiradjuri, Wailwan and Ngiyampaa person and student organiser studying law at the University of Sydney. Ethan has also been active in student politics, including leadership roles with the student union. Ethan is currently the Secretary of NSW Young Greens, and is a director of multiple racial justice, climate, and housing advocacy groups including Democracy in Colour, Greenpeace Australia-Pacific, and the Tenants’ Union of NSW.

Ethan believes that ordinary Australians have a responsibility to act when their government’s political and economic ties contribute to the suffering of civilians abroad.

Ethan Floyd:

WHEN: 5:30pm, Monday 4th May

WHERE: Sydney International Airport terminal 1