Greetings, friends. My name is Jess McLean, and I'm here to provide you with some blueprints

of disruption. This weekly podcast is dedicated to amplifying the work of activists, examining

power structures, and sharing the success stories from the grassroots. Through these discussions,

we hope to provide folks with the tools and the inspiration they need to start to dismantle

capitalism, decolonize our spaces, and bring about the political revolution that we know

we need. And we're back. After pausing for a couple of weeks, the most amazing interview

opened up, one with a previous guest who is currently doing everything she can to stop

the genocide in Gaza. Will we all be able to look back and say as much? As I record this,

dozens of activists kidnapped by Israeli forces, civilians from all over the globe, are arriving

in Greece and other parts of Europe after being deported by the Zionist occupation. They had

been part of another wave of ships, part of the Freedom Flotilla, that seeks to break the

siege on Gaza. These were not the first ships, nor will they be the last. When we spoke with

Dr. Yipeng Ji while he was on board the Handala, we talked about the history of activists using

this method to draw attention to and break the naval blockade, the illegal blockade, on

what is now a starving population of mostly children. The most recent large flotilla of

humanitarian aid, over 40 ships, were first tormented by the IOF and then seized, all in

international waters. As some of these activists are arriving home, we are also hearing of

their inhumane treatment in Israeli prisons, something Palestinians have been telling us

about for generations now. But none of that has stopped people from continuing to board

ships still bound for Gaza. Our next guest included. Ms. Squassin is with us again, this

time from the Conscience. She'll introduce herself in a moment. Now, despite our best efforts,

the sound quality is what you'd expect from aboard a busy ship in the middle of the Mediterranean.

Please stick with it, though. She is a force that needs to be heard. We were able to speak

with her just before her drone watch shift and very much appreciate her time. We've also

linked our previous interview with Ms. Gwassen, blockades and bail conditions. You can find

that in the show notes. Before we get into it, do us a favor though, will ya? Share this episode

with a friend. Give the show a little boost. I also want to give a big thank you to the

folks who reached out during my little hiatus. There are good people out there. and I am grateful

I found some of them through this little podcast. Keep taking care of each other out there. Now

here's Ms. Squawson. So, okay, let's just give us the bare facts. Where are you right now?

What are you doing? So I, we just sailed south across the Crete. I went to the port Fortaleza,

right to see Chaka Asa, currently aboard the ship.

Who else is on the boat with you there? Yeah, so we are a group of men and women journalists.

Currently there are targets on the path of course, there's complete media block out and there's

also assassinations on way to the city.

How long have you been a sail? So we left September 30th but I've actually been abroad for quite

some time. I have left SoCal's Cairns after the island on September 12th. That's the way

it's happening here in the boat. I was originally in a Josio Corsica, which is the pilot sub

of the Frac. I was with Dr. Suzanne Shiusho, who went to Seattle with him, unfortunately

due to mechanical issues. We were not able to sail. And then I went to uh Kenya, which

is in Sicily. I did some training there, then headed up to Toronto. uh

It makes the flotilla all that more impressive when you understand the the routes everyone

had to take to get there, but it just demonstrates, you know, folks' determination. I saw you

talking to Rachel Smalld right before this. She talked about, you know, instilling the

idea of pushing for more risk, perhaps, and sacrifice, and keeping that kind of mentality.

Do you want to hit on that a little bit, expand on your mission there beyond, you know, Blake

exposing the blockade and breaking the siege. uh quite ridiculous that civilians are coming

to take this action. For two years, it's been genocide. The health center has been occupied

for 48 years with several genocides of same. But it's supposed to show that it can be done.

There are vessels that have reached the surface. And this has been a movement that's been happening

for almost 20 years. There's people on this vessel that have failed in terms of the war.

There's people that are here that were on the Pondoloff, that were imprisoned when I was

the first strike. And we're talking about, you know, one of my comrades here, is in his 70s,

is on the vessel again. And it just shows the determination that some people have in the

face of miscarriage. People are willing to put their lives and their bodies on the line to

take action. And this is what it takes. We can't rely on our government to do what's right.

We stand in community. We've just been gaslit by the police and government so hard for the

past two years. It's just, you know, even recognizing Palestine as a state but not placing sanctions

on Israel, not implementing a two-way arms bar go. It's just meaningless. And as an Indigenous

woman, we have the Two-Term Reconciliation Commission and the 94 Calls to Action. We have our own

state-of-the-art Indigenous women and the calls to action there. None of those have been implemented.

We're seeing our right to call as Indigenous people. trample on. so just comes as no surprise

to me, really. But this is what it takes. And I think we're happy with the escalating people

having to this for a long time. I mean, it is what it takes. We always say we keep us safe.

And that doesn't just apply to in the streets. It's, know, globally, it seems our responsibility

as well. There's almost comfort in that, though, in letting people kind of let that sink in.

that it takes community, takes citizens, because even when we do rely on states, maybe we

see some of the other European states launch ships, ah but that didn't stop them from being

intercepted by the Israeli uh forces there. Forty-two ships just were uh intercepted,

the activists kidnapped. detained. We don't know the status of all of them, but that's,

you know, getting details here and there. Are you part of a larger group or is it just

the conscience now that's a sail? So we just met up with the thousand-month lanes, as I'm

sure if we're going to be continuing to sail with them, our vessel is quite large. It's

incredibly how far they've come. weather that they've had to endure. So we're a little bit

faster. there's technical stuff to consider. So it's not sure if we're going to be able

to stay with them. But we just met up with them today and that was pretty incredible.

And they left out of Catania. I talked to Yipaeng Ji about the mission there, wasn't just a

single ship, but the focus was on the Handala at the time and there were some observer ships.

but he spoke of creating wave after wave, knowingly that the chances of reaching the shores of

Gaza were slight, that didn't deter anybody. And now it seems there is quite literally wave

after wave. ah Is that your expectation that ships will just continue sailing until the

job is done? Yeah, absolutely. Like I said, it's been 20 years of this movement, happily.

You know, I think as we approach winter months, it'll be harder for people to do that. We would

see civilian vessels coming up close to Turkey, I don't believe are going that way. But you

know, people doing everything they can and even if you can't get there on vessels and wait

to get to sail there, you need to to take back some of your So you've just seen an uprising

all over the world, people in solidarity with Palestine, setting down forests, blocking

all forms of transportation and commerce that is completely being disrupted. So that's how

we can fight actually, close to winter months. But I assume that as soon as people can

and are fighting more flowchillers as we speak, I'm sure. Did you decide to get on the flotilla?

Were you invited or were you determined to find a way to sail? Because we all feel like I

want to do more and you certainly found a way to try to do more. So yeah, I've been organizing

a long time. ah didn't start organizing yesterday. I didn't start organizing October 7th because

I have a big community of people and comrades that I trust. And it was actually my colleague,

Dr. T-Zam, who called me on a Sunday and was like, do you want to get on the slow pillow

with me? And I was like, yeah, let's go. I didn't even think twice. It was just an immediate

yes. And we left on a few days. So I had two days to prepare. But I didn't think twice

about it, and unfortunately, ah She wasn't able to sail with me on the content, but she was

here with me in my heart. We do a lot of work back together at home. We do frontline work

back together at home. So I felt confident going in with her. She does incredible work. It was

actually through her education that I ended up on this vessel. The folks of Canada, Bocasas

saw the importance of the first nationals to be here. and supported me. So I'm really grateful

for that. I've been following you on IG, or wherever ah you come across my feed. And I've

noticed you're carrying some flags with you in your journey. And you left on a very significant

date. Let's spend a little bit of space here tying Indigenous resistance movements between

Turtle Island and Palestine. Yeah. uh So people have been seeing me carry this warrior flag

around. was actually a gift from a week's date to someone who's a land offender. And she had

actually brought that standing rock. So that's where it started. then of course there was

a coyote camp. didn't get a checkpoint. so that flag was waving there. uh and now it's here

with me on the way to Gaza. indigenous resistance is worldwide. It's not just on Toronto Island.

uh You might have seen some of the images of the young Palestinian girl waving a warrior

flag in Somalia, in Palestine. And so it's just, to me it's a symbol of strength, resilience.

and honouring the origins of our ancestors in those true warrior teachings which is to

take care of young and the old and consider the next generations, the generations that

came for us, right? And so just practicing that and you know it was through Eve, if you can

guess that flag, that I brought that flag here. Originally my comrade, Arthur Henson, who was

a student from Great Greenland, was supposed to join me so he left her free-led leg so

I'm flying that too. My partner who's in Tsunami uh is a warrior and uh he had his Tsunami leg

flying up land by land for a few years so I thought that would be cute so there's just

a lot of good medicine there that I've gotten with me. Beyond how long it took you and how

many stops you made, what has been the biggest surprise of this journey to the Freedom Flotilla?

For me, I was really surprised at that one vessel we could know. that I had flown away

and that men and their crew were able to pass the Flotilla. I don't know how, I don't know

what they did, but I'm like, wow. really hope that we have a chance to do something

similar. There was a blockade of 20 IOWA warships. you know, even one zodiac is intimidating.

They're facing water cannons, stump water, know, intimidation. These guys are armed.

This is no joke. There's really occupation forces here, not a joke. So when I saw that,

was like, it's possible, it kind of happened, and we could make it to Gaza. And to me, it

felt real. And then also just seeing like health city and fishermen being able to fish

without being shot at. I cried tears of joy that made it worthwhile for me to see people

like that just for the first fish on their land and their waters, which they have every right

to do. And you know, of course, being part of nation's fisheries is a part of our life, our

way of life. Actually, before I just came to be in France,

It'll be interesting for me to hear from you after all of this, just as a reflection on

the experience, but you must understand that a lot of folks are watching you and getting,

you know, feels and getting inspired and are grateful. What other kind of impact are you

hoping to make on, you know, your comrades back in so-called in Toronto? I hope people shut

it down. I people shut it down. I just like, I'm like, please. do something.

That's my greatest hope. I hope that people who are athletes start becoming athletes. I

have a bad knee. know, I'm tired today. I saw what you're There was a white national hockey

rally that happened in the... I was like, hell yeah, it's somebody who doesn't normally go

to actions to often and it was just a friend of mine that I was like, I'm gonna get up and

move in a couple of days. So just little things like that, messing with just like that, you

know, know, I know, people who might not be politically aware or even understand what's

what's happening in Palestine are starting to pay attention now. so just creating that, that

awareness, creating that, creating that spark in other people has meant a lot. I hope that

it can continue and show itself in a lot of different ways. How will it feel if you see

the shores of Gaza? I'm going to cry. Probably collapse from exhaustion.

Obviously, there's people in Palestine that are watching us and it's giving them hope,

but they've given us more than we could ever give to them. I know that over the two years,

people that have come into Gaza, people that I've tried to support. know, through me trying

and whatnot. Just thinking of those two boys. You know, do you see? I did that all my life,

because I'm really starting my journey. Really showing up in the biggest way that I can. So,

it's gonna feel... I don't know. I'm gonna have a lot of feelings. And I'm pissed off. I'm

pissed off. You know, like, I'm f***ing a lot ways too because that this is that we've had

to do this and this is what it's taken and I know people reach out to me and say we're worried

for you and some of those people haven't said a word about Palestine and it's like why Why

is my life more about the school life than the college student? the answer is racism. The

answer is xenophobia. The answer is poverty. uh People know that there's a genocide happening.

They just don't care. Or they're blinded by money. Or it just seems like it's a world away.

It's not. It impacts us. It impacts our democracy. You've seen how Palestinian solidarity protests

have created bubble zones, protest zones. And I know that you've spoken about that and talked

to people about that. It's like, man, this is impacting your own democracy. And it's like,

how come I'm pissed off because it's like, how can we have to do this to make people care?

Like, where's the humanity in our school? So I just have like a whole range of emotions

and our anger is secret. Our anger is secret and so we have to hold onto that. Yeah, I saw

someone tweet or just, you know, express that they never thought they'd spend like the last

two years losing respect. for a huge amount of people in their inaction. And sometimes

that's one of the hardest parts to grapple with. when we see folks like you and the other, you

know, hundreds and hundreds of people who have signed up for the Freedom Flotilla have gone

or who are waiting to go, it reminds us that Not as a whole, haven't lost our humanity.

um The flotilla is just so demonstrative of what we want everything to be. I know it sucks

so bad that our comrades are on ships, risking their lives, and you're going out there and

making these sacrifices. But like I said again, that's what it's going to take anyway. The

UN won't save them. And if they do, what will that mean anyway? oh It'll mean more levels

of colonization and it's just, it's astonishing. But it is astonishing that we're at this point.

yeah, again, I was watching you on live right before this and talking how we've been locked

out of government, right? And the folks you were talking about to get to this point, right?

We pleaded with them, we asked for this, that, and the other thing. They gave us recognizing

the state of Palestine and they're hoping we go away. and using other tools to scare us

to go away. But no, no, the movement is relentless. What do you hope the flotilla gives the movement

as a whole? A little bit of boost? Yeah, yeah. I mean, I was kind of blown away by people

celebrating the fact that the Italian and Spanish vessels had joined the Samud. And it was kind

of like... From the beginning, I had really mixed feelings about that, because one, it

demonstrated that these countries could have been sending humanitarian aid the whole time.

The other was just a complete sabotage of their mission to try and convince them to hand over

their aid to what? Even to the Israelis, right? And even Maloney making the comment that the

flotilla would somehow damage or... somehow impact the peace talks that Trump is having

with Israel. And it's just complete nonsense and utter bullshit. I don't understand how

people don't see through it. it's like, you know, even Canada talking about sending troops

over for a peace mission, we know what that looks like. We saw what happened in Iraq and

Afghanistan. It's no secret to us. And we shouldn't think that this is going to be any different.

And so the people of Palestine have their own sovereignty. their own agency and they deserve

their whole independence from the river to the sea. Right? And it doesn't mean a two

state solution. And that's what this is about. Yeah. I mean, not a lot of liberals listen

to this show, so everyone else is just like, you know, nodding along with you, Ms. Gwasson,

for sure. Like no one I think is at least listening here is is falling for that kind of shit.

You know, we are very hungry for any kind of kernel of hope. So I do understand when, you

know, someone declares they're sending warships to escort the flotilla. It's that glimmer,

that state recognition to maybe the uneducated is like, ooh, ooh, something, But it's obviously

sometimes far more dangerous. And again, like, yeah, it's just, there's no sense in waiting

for the state all this time. We've been petitioning them and calling them. And I heard you say

that is important and it is, but we're really talking to each other. Right. We need each

other to rise up. We don't need our politicians to do the right thing. Cause that's just piecemeal

shit. Right. As if it does, if this, this does anything, uh, it's build a worldwide uh movement

that's so much more determined and educated and experienced. Um, and I feel it. it'll

lead us somewhere, you know, even beyond a free Palestine. I do. I've definitely seen a shift.

mean, like, in the past, you know, month that I've been traveling around the EU, you know,

just the uprising that's happening around the world, you know, it just it gives me hope.

even if people, like I said, aren't on a flotilla, they're shutting down those ports and they're

shutting down those rail systems. in every way that they can. We're seeing unions step

up like they never have before. Hopefully, know, North Americans can take some inspiration

from that as well. But yeah, it does give me hope. uh I think I uh just from my standpoint

here, you know, just looking at everything happening and just being so immersed in this genocide

over this past month has just really... kind of giving me, giving my head a shake a little

bit. I bet that's an understatement. Yeah. Um, I, again, I appreciate you taking the

time to come on and let us know how you're doing and what you're doing and why you're

doing it, even though, you know, we, we understand, um, it seems silly to say stay safe out there,

but I still want you to stay safe out there. We need you comrade, but ah I understand what

you're doing and I applaud you for it. And even then that's again, major understatement. ah

So yeah, do stay safe sister and get some rest when you can. I will. Thank you so much, Jessa.

It's always a pleasure to talk to you and just keep doing the good work. Thank you so much.

You too, sister. Okay, bye for now. Bye for now. Take care. That is a wrap on another

episode of Blueprints of Disruption. Thank you for joining us. Also, a very big thank you

to the producer of our show, Santiago Jaluc Quintero. Blueprints of Disruption is an independent

production operated cooperatively. You can follow us on Twitter at BPEofDisruption. If you'd

like to help us continue disrupting the status quo, Please share our content and if you have

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community, so does our content. So reach out to us and let us know what or who we should

be amplifying. So until next time, keep disrupting.