Ed Doogan, a Glenside resident and military medic veteran of the first Gulf War, is currently aboard the Global Sumud Flotilla, a vessel which is sailing across the Mediterranean Sea on its way to deliver humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza.
Doogan is joined by eight other military veterans who left the Port of Barcelona on August 31. The crew is part of a civilian-led maritime mission comprised of over 50 boats manned by people from 44 countries.
Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg is among those traveling with the GSF flotilla, according to CBS News.
“It’s an incredibly brave and selfless act that every one of these people are doing. All of this is about the people of Gaza ending this nightmarish campaign of starvation, constant bombing, dislocation and upheaval,” Julia Ramsey, a Glenside resident, said. “The purpose is to show the world that aid can be delivered by sea, and that we all have the right and the responsibility to deliver aid to those who are starving and suffering. I’m praying for their safety and that we can end this nightmare so that the people of Gaza can begin to heal and rebuild their lives.”
Katy Otto, a South Philly resident and friend of Doogan’s through the local music scene, described him as “a sweet, peaceful, kind person.”
“I think it’s amazing what he’s doing. It’s inspiring. They’ve been at sea for quite awhile,” she said.
The mission’s potential for danger ramped up this week. On the morning of Tuesday, September 9, one of the vessels was struck by a drone, according to Global Sumud Flotilla’s Instagram page:
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A second vessel was attacked by a drone while docked in Tunisia.
“The Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) confirms that on September 9, another boat in our fleet — the ‘Alma’ — was attacked by a drone as it was docked in Tunisian waters,” the group said in a statement on Wednesday. “The boat, sailing under the British flag, sustained fire damage on its top deck. The fire has since been extinguished, and all passengers and crew are safe. An investigation is currently underway and when more information is available it will be released immediately.”
The group shared a video clip on its Instagram page that it said showed the moment of the second attack:
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Glenside Local reached out to Doogan earlier this week after being told that he’d have intermittent service. We haven’t heard back yet and will update this article if and when we do.
On Tuesday, Ramsey and seven other concerned citizens within Representative Madeleine Dean’s district met with Michael Tucker, district director, to ask for safe passage for the passengers. Dean was attending an event in Washington, DC and could not make the meeting, Ramsey said.
“I gave the office a call a week ago to let them know that Mr. Doogan is currently on the flotilla. I let them know it was a time-sensitive matter and there are threats from those who want to detain the occupants and charge them with terrorism,” she said. “The seriousness of that threat prompted them to get back to me right away.”
Ramsey said the meeting prompted Dean to co-sponsor the Block the Bombs Act.
“The meeting went well. She signed on yesterday. I felt very positive after that meeting. I think it’s a very important step, and I think her leadership is important,” she said. “We also asked her to sponsor legislation to start funding UNRWA, which has been providing various forms of aid to Palestinian camps in the region since 1948. Our government stopped funding them in 2024.”
Ramsey and company’s third legislative ask “was regarding Visas that had been halted for all Palestinians coming to the United States for medical treatment. We asked for that Visa program to be reinstated,” she said, noting that the treatment is funded by private donors, not the U.S. government.
In late August, Dean signed on to a letter delivered to Secretary Marco Rubio regarding the Visa program:
You can follow the mission’s updates on Doogan’s Instagram page. A petition drive will take place at Representative Dean’s office today at 6:00pm.
Abington Add (Against Discrimination and Defamation) shared the following on their Facebook page on Sunday:
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Photos: Instagram