Viva Palestina are faced with 2,000 riot police in the port of Al-Arish!

January 5, 2010Leave a comment

5 January, 2010

To all friends of Palestine

Our situation is now at a crisis point! Riot has broken out in the port of Al- Arish.

This late afternoon we were negotiating with a senior official from Cairo who left negotiations some two hours ago and did not return. Our negotiations with the official was regarding taking our aid vehicles into Gaza.

He left two hours ago and did not come back. Egyptian authorities called over 2,000 riot police who then moved towards our camp at the port.

We have now blocked the entrance to the port and we are now faced with riot police and water cannons and are determined to defend our vehicles and aid.

The Egyptian authorities have by their stubbornness and hostility towards the convoy, brought us to a crisis point.

We are now calling upon all friends of palestine to mount protests in person where possible, but by any means available to Egyptian representatives, consulates and Embassy’s and demand that the convoy are allowed a safe passage into Gaza tomorrow!

Kevin Ovenden
Viva Palestina Convoy Leader

———————
Alice Howard
Viva Palestina UK – Administration Manager
Tel: 07944 512 469
Email: alice@vivapalestina.org
Website: http://www.vivapalestina.org/

Viva Palestina mission to Gaza By Eric Ruder

January 5, 2010Leave a comment

5 January, 2010 — Viva Palestina – Socialist Worker

Eric Ruder reports on calls for solidarity from activists on a mission to bring badly needed supplies to the Palestinians of Gaza.

THE VIVA Palestina convoy to deliver humanitarian relief supplies to the besieged people of Gaza is calling on solidarity activists everywhere to call, e-mail and fax officials of the Egyptian government and gather outside consulates and embassies around the world as the convoy embarks on the last leg of its attempt to cross from Egypt into Gaza.

The situation is changing by the hour, so Viva Palestina organizers are asking that activists be prepared to either demand that Egyptian authorities allow the convoy to cross into Gaza or to celebrate the successful and safe passage of humanitarian relief supplies that are urgently needed by 1.5 million Palestinians living under Israel’s blockade in Gaza.

As Viva Palestina organizer Kevin Ovenden via telephone from El Arish, Egypt, near the Rafah border cross into Gaza:

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GAZA ACTIVISTS IN EGYPT PASSPORT PROTEST By Tim Moynihan, Press Association

January 5, 2010Leave a comment

4th January at 11.45pm — Viva Palestina

Humanitarian activists trying to take aid to Gaza staged noisy protests after Egyptian officials took away their passports and there was a lengthy delay in giving them back.

Yesterday’s demonstrations came after the first group of 157, including the Respect MP George Galloway, arrived at El-Arish airport in Egypt on a flight from Syria, waiting to be united with the aid, which has travelled to the same destination by sea.

One of the those travelling, Alexandra Lort-Phillips, 37, who works for Enfield Youth Offending Service in north London, said: “We arrived six or seven hours ago, in the early evening, and had to pay 15 dollars for entry visas.

“Our passports were taken from us and we became aware they were putting exit stamps in them which meant they intended to escort us out of the country on the way to Gaza.

“Protests started off with a peaceful sit-down, but then got noisier as people got more frustrated, and there was some shouting and singing and banging equipment in the airport arrivals lounge, but nothing was thrown around, there was no violence.

“We’ve just heard that the exit stamps will be taken out of the passports so it seems that the situation is being resolved.”

Alice Howard, a spokeswoman for the British-based Viva Palestina convoy, said: “I have spoken to organiser Kevin Ovenden, and he says it’s calming down now, they are giving back the passports, and they are going to be scouting for hotels tonight.

“They plan to all go together to the seaport tomorrow to take their vehicles off the ship, then travel to the Rafah crossing into Gaza.”

The 150-vehicle convoy is carrying hundreds of tons of humanitarian supplies. There are 528 activists from 17 countries who plan to accompany the aid to Gaza.

End

———————
Alice Howard
Viva Palestina UK – Administration Manager
Tel: 07944 512 469
Email: alice@vivapalestina.org
Website: http://www.vivapalestina.org/

VIVA PALESTINA WIN AIRPORT BATTLE

January 5, 2010Leave a comment

5 January, 2010 — Viva Palestina

My last message to all of you was that the Viva Palestina convoy members have arrived into Al-Arish and were just hours away from breaking the siege of Gaza.

Now, I report to you that in the past hour 157 Viva Palestina convoy members passports were taken away at Al-Arish airport by the Egyptian authorities. The Egyptians also removed the passport’s of British MP George Galloway and convoy leader Kevin Ovenden.

All passports were stamped in on entry but also received an exit stamp too. The Egyptian’s wanted 157 convoy members to drive tonight to Gaza and forget about the other 400 Viva Palestina volunteers that were yet to fly into Al-Arish tonight.

Egyptian authorities say that the 400 volunteers would not be allowed entry! Convoy members started a sit down riot and refused to move or leave without their fellow convoy Brothers and Sisters!

I am now pleased to say that all passports have been returned back to their rightful owners and exit stamps have been removed – We won that battle! – Now convoy members are scouting for hotels for tonight and will return tomorrow to be reunited with all convoy members, before moving on, to pick up their vehicles and head for their final destination, Gaza!

Well as you can see that the situation is changing by the hour and I am now calling for all of you to gather at Egyptian Embassies, consulates and interests tomorrow. It will be either to shame the Egyptian government for blocking the convoy further or to celebrate Viva Palestina entering Gaza and organising further solidarity.

Viva Palestina convoy will fight all the way to deliver the aid to Gaza!

———————
Alice Howard
Viva Palestina UK – Administration Manager
Tel: 07944 512 469
Email: alice@vivapalestina.org
Website: http://www.vivapalestina.org/