Several dozen people with the Viva Palestina convoy have reportedly been injured Tuesday evening after 2000 Egyptian riot police attacked a sit-in at the Port of Al Arish, where the convoy was re-routed on its way to the Gaza Strip.
Several dozen people with the Viva Palestina convoy have reportedly been injured Tuesday evening after 2000 Egyptian riot police attacked a sit-in at the Port of Al Arish, where the convoy was re-routed on its way to the Gaza Strip.
520 people and 220 vehicles full of humanitarian aid have faced one obstacle after another, as the Egyptian government re-routed the convoy hundreds of miles from their original route through Aqaba, Jordan. When they finally arrived in Al-Arish, Egypt, almost a week behind their schedule, the Egyptian government walked out of negotiations with the convoy’s organizers, saying that one quarter of the 220 vehicles would have to be re-routed yet again – through Israel. Viva Palestina organizers said that sending vehicles through Israel would result in the aid not reaching the people of Gaza as intended.
Most recently, the Viva Palestina convoy has reported that at least 11 convoy members have been arrested by Egyptian police and several dozen have been injured, when Egyptian riot police moved in on a non-violent sit-in held by the activists to challenge the refusal of ¼ of the humanitarian aid that they have collected for the people of Gaza.
Alexandra Lort-Phillips, 37, from North London, said, “I have 42 people in my team, and out of those three Britons have been injured. There are head injuries, cuts. We started getting pelted with stones by people in plain clothes, then the police started moving in, using tear gas and batons. People were quite severely beaten.”
British Parliament Member George Galloway, who is leading the convoy, told reporters Tuesday evening, “It is completely unconscionable that 25% of our convoy should go to Israel and never arrive in Gaza.”
This is an update from the following press release from Viva Palestina posted Tuesday afternoon:
Viva Palestina Faced With 2,000 Riot Police In The Port Of Al-arish
To all friends of Palestine, Our situation is now at a crisis point! Riot has broken out in the port of Al- Arish. This is a press release by Viva Palestina.
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 were 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.
