We are on our way!
Sara Ibrahim, 4-1-2010
After the Egyptian government's offer to let 100 marchers into Gaza, many activists thought that this decision was made quickly, there were no democratic structures, therefore choosing the 100 marchers was difficult, for they were a coalition that came together with no previous meetings.
Yet the other protesters never gave up nor backed off. One of the organizers, Ehab Lotayef said: "Our work will not end tonight; it will not end tomorrow or this week. Our responsibility is to carry the energy that we created from the time we came here with the goal of lifting the bloackade of Gaza. But that's only a partial goal. The goal is justice and freedom for the people of Palestine!"
Many demonstrations and protests were held in different parts in Egypt one of them was that some Gaza Freedom March delegates climbed up one of the Pyramids and opened a banner that read "Open the Borders", other French Participants, unfurled a large Palestinian flag on one the Pyramids as well. Yet the Egyptian Tourism Police removed the banners later on and stopped activists wearing a t-shirts that said: "We Will Not Be Silent" from entering the pyramids area.
More than 500 Marchers protested at the Israeli Embassy which is desperately trying to divert our efforts to the Egyptian government's role in the siege.
3 days ago the South African delegation announced the Cairo Declaration that demands an end to Israeli Apartheid, lists the protesters renewed commitments and provides an action plan as the move forward with their work. This document proves that the marchers accomplished the mission that brought them to Cairo.
The Cairo Declaration stated: "We demand Self- Determination for all Palestinians. We demand an End to the occupation. We demand Equal Rights for All within historic Palestine. We demand the full Right of Return for all People of Palestine.
All these steps made the Egyptian authorities to temporarily open the Rafah border crossing with the Gaza Strip, yesterday, allowing those with permits to cross.
The authorities declared that around 133 people had crossed from Gaza into Egypt on Sunday afternoon. Most of them were patients in need of urgent medical care, and others were students with visas for foreign countries.
After Hamas gained full control of the territory in June 2007, "Israel" controlled the crossings into Gaza, keeping the Rafah border Shut.
Anne Wright, a retired US army colonel and diplomat who resigned from the US state department in protest against the Iraq war in 2003 and now a co-ordinator of the Gaza Freedom March, said that organisers want to build on what has happened, by expanding the march so that the protesters can keep the attention on the plight of the people of Gaza.
Wright said that what happened in Egypt is unprecedented, adding: " I don't think there's ever been this type of international demonstrations here".
Wright also said that despite the force used by police on the protesters, the government did allow them to hold demonstrations outside the UN, "Israeli" , French and US embassies.
Speaking of US, New York participants led by the 16 Gaza Freedom Marchers which arrived to New York this morning, decided to demonstrate later on today, at the Israeli Consulate in New York City. After the hunger strike they began on December 28, some of the Marchers are still maintaining their fast.
As for the UK convoy, Viva Palestina, which held 210 lorries full of medicine and other supplies, was able to arrive in the Egyptian port El Arish on the Mediterranean on Sunday after sailing from Latakia in Syria and after they set out from UK around a month ago.
The Gaza Freedom March may haven't been able to bring in 1,400 delegates into Gaza, yet they accomplished a lot. For now the whole world knows about the Egyptian complicity with the "Israeli" blockade of Gaza!!
After the Egyptian government's offer to let 100 marchers into Gaza, many activists thought that this decision was made quickly, there were no democratic structures, therefore choosing the 100 marchers was difficult, for they were a coalition that came together with no previous meetings.
Yet the other protesters never gave up nor backed off. One of the organizers, Ehab Lotayef said: "Our work will not end tonight; it will not end tomorrow or this week. Our responsibility is to carry the energy that we created from the time we came here with the goal of lifting the bloackade of Gaza. But that's only a partial goal. The goal is justice and freedom for the people of Palestine!"
Many demonstrations and protests were held in different parts in Egypt one of them was that some Gaza Freedom March delegates climbed up one of the Pyramids and opened a banner that read "Open the Borders", other French Participants, unfurled a large Palestinian flag on one the Pyramids as well. Yet the Egyptian Tourism Police removed the banners later on and stopped activists wearing a t-shirts that said: "We Will Not Be Silent" from entering the pyramids area.
More than 500 Marchers protested at the Israeli Embassy which is desperately trying to divert our efforts to the Egyptian government's role in the siege.
3 days ago the South African delegation announced the Cairo Declaration that demands an end to Israeli Apartheid, lists the protesters renewed commitments and provides an action plan as the move forward with their work. This document proves that the marchers accomplished the mission that brought them to Cairo.
The Cairo Declaration stated: "We demand Self- Determination for all Palestinians. We demand an End to the occupation. We demand Equal Rights for All within historic Palestine. We demand the full Right of Return for all People of Palestine.
All these steps made the Egyptian authorities to temporarily open the Rafah border crossing with the Gaza Strip, yesterday, allowing those with permits to cross.
The authorities declared that around 133 people had crossed from Gaza into Egypt on Sunday afternoon. Most of them were patients in need of urgent medical care, and others were students with visas for foreign countries.
After Hamas gained full control of the territory in June 2007, "Israel" controlled the crossings into Gaza, keeping the Rafah border Shut.
Anne Wright, a retired US army colonel and diplomat who resigned from the US state department in protest against the Iraq war in 2003 and now a co-ordinator of the Gaza Freedom March, said that organisers want to build on what has happened, by expanding the march so that the protesters can keep the attention on the plight of the people of Gaza.
Wright said that what happened in Egypt is unprecedented, adding: " I don't think there's ever been this type of international demonstrations here".
Wright also said that despite the force used by police on the protesters, the government did allow them to hold demonstrations outside the UN, "Israeli" , French and US embassies.
Speaking of US, New York participants led by the 16 Gaza Freedom Marchers which arrived to New York this morning, decided to demonstrate later on today, at the Israeli Consulate in New York City. After the hunger strike they began on December 28, some of the Marchers are still maintaining their fast.
As for the UK convoy, Viva Palestina, which held 210 lorries full of medicine and other supplies, was able to arrive in the Egyptian port El Arish on the Mediterranean on Sunday after sailing from Latakia in Syria and after they set out from UK around a month ago.
The Gaza Freedom March may haven't been able to bring in 1,400 delegates into Gaza, yet they accomplished a lot. For now the whole world knows about the Egyptian complicity with the "Israeli" blockade of Gaza!!
Comments
France’s Hollande in Qatar for Warplane Deal
11 years ago
Iraq Police Dismantles Al-Qaeda Protest Site
12 years ago