Wednesday, December 30th
Protest at the Egyptian Journalism Syndicate
Cairo—Last night, through a deal negotiated with Suzanne Mubarak, the Egyptian government stated that 100 of the 1300 Gaza Freedom March delegates could enter Gaza to deliver humanitarian aid. This seemingly compassionate gesture may represent an attempt to put a friendly face on an oppressive Egyptian regime led by Mrs. Mubarak’s husband, Hosni Mubarak.
The deal was put on the table early last evening with a short deadline for acceptance. Gaza Freedom March coordinators quickly accepted the deal. However, after much deliberation with both the larger group and Palestinian coordinators inside Gaza, the coordinators agreed to reject the Egyptian offer. Delegates and organizers feel that the Egyptian government’s offer was a means of political pacification and an attempt to divert international attention away from Egypt’s human rights abuses and their refusal to open the Rafah border crossing to Gaza.
“Any amount of aid that we can bring in would only be symbolic,” said Mike Hearington of Veterans for Peace. “The people of Gaza deserve unrestricted access to food, medical supplies and to commodities that can actually help rebuild their devastated infrastructure.” Gazan infrastructure remains decimated after more than 3 years of a blockade. Furthermore, Gaza is still struggling to recover from Operation Cast Lead, an Israeli military offensive in early January 2009 that killed 1400 Palestinians and destroyed critical parts of Gaza’s infrastructure for electricity, sanitation, water, and medical treatment. “The Gaza Freedom March is not about charity to the Palestinians,” Hearington added, “it’s about standing with our brothers and sisters to end the siege.”
According to a recent report published by IRIN, a prominent source for humanitarian news, 60 percent of Gaza’s 1.4 million people lack continuous access to water. The Gaza Coastal Municipal Water Utility (CMWU) and the UN have worked together to devise a viable plan for providing clean water and sanitation, but, because of the Israeli blockade, less than 2 percent of it has been implemented. The World Bank also noted that even small relief projects have been abandoned due to a lack of usable materials.
As the Egyptian government was trying to broker the deal with Gaza Freedom March organizers, The Egyptian Journalism Syndicate held a mass public protest to oppose Egypt’s complicity in maintaining the siege of Gaza. The protest, which was was supported by the Gaza Freedom March, helped build a strong sense of unity between the marchers, the Egyptian journalists and Egyptian citizens.
The scene that developed the next morning as the bus was prepared for departure to Gaza was intense, moving and memorable. Some of the Palestinians on the bus hadn’t seen their families in many years and wanted to deliver some needed supplies and money. Other Palestinians who hadn’t boarded the bus urged their fellow Palestinians to get off of the bus, believing it was better, for the movement, to maintain solidarity with the entire group of Gaza Freedom Marchers.
Approximately 50 delegates decided to continue in their effort to enter Gaza with humanitarian relief. Others decided to get off of the bus and remain in Cairo until all delegates were allowed to go. Ultimately, Egyptian authorities stopped the bus at the Suez Canal and sent it back to Cairo. Tomorrow, all of the delegates in Cairo will gather for a mass march, setting out on foot for the Rafah crossing. They insist that they will not be silenced until the siege of Gaza is lifted.
