By Leslie Harris

Over the twenty years I’ve known Ann Wright, she’s always been kind enough to come to Dallas when we needed her, to speak about war, peace, and Palestine at dinners, fundraisers, demonstrations, colleges, conferences, and sometimes to partake in shenanigans (like driving the get-away car for an ARREST BUSH light projection onto GW’s presidential library, for example).

From early on, Ann was an indispensable leader in the Gaza Freedom Movement and subsequent attempts to break the siege of Gaza by sea with fleets of ships, large and small, eventually under the auspices of the Gaza Freedom Flotilla Coalition.

She was a passenger on the 2010 Freedom Flotilla when the fleet was attacked in international waters by Israeli commandos, killing 10 people and wounding 50 on the largest boat, the Mavi Marmara.  Ann had been on the big boat earlier, but not long before the attack, she had moved to a smaller boat, the Challenger 1, which gave her a bird's-eye view of what happened to the Mavi Marmara. 

Flotilla passengers and crew on all the boats were roughed up, kidnapped, and taken to Israel, where they were imprisoned for several days. The Israelis stole and destroyed all their electronics – phones, cameras, computers, video equipment, and anything that might facilitate communication.

Understandingly, Ann was furious that humanitarians trying to take supplies and goodwill to an entrenched people living in an open-air prison had been violently attacked, and some were injured or even murdered!  As soon as she set foot back in the US, she called and said she wanted to come to Texas and tell anyone & everyone who would listen the truth about what had gone down.

After a short time for organizing, we set off on a two-week road trip – a Texas Tour to seven cities and an IVAW convention. Ann so inspired me that when she told me there would be another flotilla and she would be on it, I knew I had to do something to support the flotilla and its participants in their efforts to bring humanitarian aid to Gaza’s besieged inhabitants…and so importantly, to let them know that they were not alone, that people knew about their suffering, cared about them, and were trying to reach them -- to break the unconscionable siege. 

At the time, I wasn’t able to travel overseas to help out with the actual flotilla, so I wanted to create something here at home that would attract attention, shine a light on the mistreatment of the Palestinians, raise awareness about the Gaza Freedom Flotilla, and allow for the involvement of as many people as possible. I settled on a “land boat” that was made of two long banners painted black with blue “waves” for the hull, connected at the front to form a bow. The sail was made by covering yardsticks with a sheet and was attached to a PVC pipe mast. In 2011, as the U.S. boat “Audacity of Hope” set sail abroad, our land boat set out on its maiden voyage, sailing through the streets of downtown Dallas. Over the years since then, as the flotillas have continued to sail, the boat has been repainted and used numerous times for a variety of occasions in locations around the country.  

Most importantly, the land boat brings people together for support and camaraderie, but also to reach “other than the choir.” About 30 “sailors” can fit into the boat, which can lead to marches in which an unlimited number of eager participants can be included, flowing along behind as the boat’s “wake.”  The whole thing makes for a great attention-grabbing – yet at the same time disarming – visual that can break the ice and start positive and meaningful conversations that could potentially help lead us closer to a just and lasting peace.

The solidarity “land boat” has “sailed” in many places, including Washington, DC, in front of the Washington Convention Center when AIPAC was having its annual meeting inside, as well as Spokane, Washington, and Las Vegas, Nevada, at the Veterans For Peace conventions. A version of the boat will “set sail” in Detroit during the 2nd Annual People’s Conference for Palestinians.

See more of its beautiful history here: