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Egyptian cops attack Viva Palestina convoy

This report comes via The Press Association and says a lot about the Egyptian Government’s support of the Palestinians British members of a humanitarian convoy trying to take aid to Gaza were among dozens of people injured during clashes with Egyptian police. Around 520 people were travelling with the 150 trucks full of supplies when…

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This report comes via The Press Association and says a lot about the Egyptian Government’s support of the Palestinians

British members of a humanitarian convoy trying to take aid to Gaza were among dozens of people injured during clashes with Egyptian police.

Around 520 people were travelling with the 150 trucks full of supplies when clashes broke out Tuesday night at the port city of El Arish, near Gaza.

One of the members, Alexandra Lort-Phillips, 37, who works for Enfield Youth Offending Service in 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."

She said seven or eight of the convoy members had to be treated in hospital, and blamed "heavy-handed" policing of their group.

Protests reportedly broke out when Egyptian authorities at El Arish ordered some lorries to use an Israeli-controlled checkpoint.

The activists would prefer the goods to be transported via Egypt’s Rafah crossing.

British MP George Galloway, leading the convoy, said Israel is likely to prevent it entering Gaza.

He told Sky News: "It is completely unconscionable that 25% of our convoy should go to Israel and never arrive in Gaza."

Earlier this week convoy members staged noisy protests after Egyptian officials took away their passports and there was a lengthy delay in giving them back.

FROM VIVA PALESTINA

****Breaking News – Viva Palestina convoy facing crisis point in Egypt – urgent action needed*****

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

http://www.vivapalestina.org/

For further info also contact Caoimhe Butterly on the ground in Cairo

Caoimhe Butterly, Ireland +96 2796837463

12 responses to “Egyptian cops attack Viva Palestina convoy”

  1. alf Avatar
    alf

    Once again the Mubaraek regime is prepared to put its interests, and that of Israel, above the needs of the Palestinians in their struggle for self-determination. The fight for survival in Gaza and the right to provide international support is being prevented because it interferes with the duplicity of others.

    So where is Obama, who won the Nobel peace prize? Where is his so-called change in international policy ?
    Why is the infamous “peace envoy” Blair?
    Clearly the supporters of the racist and oppressive Zionist state are putting their needs and interests above those of the Palestinians.

    This attack on the convoy requires urgent response by the international movement in condoning not only the Egyptian authorities for turning their back once again on Palestinians, but on the Labour Government, the E.U. and others for joining in on this conspiracy.
    Miliband may moan about the situation in the press but continues to recognise the Zionist state and its illegal occupation.

    The struggle for Palestinian self-determination has shown that it is inextricably linked up with the opposing of the the corrupt and undemocratic states in the Middle East by their own people.

    The common struggle of the Egyptian masses and the Palestinian fight for liberation, are one. Similarly the struggles that will emerge in Jordan and elsewhere by Arab workers and farmers will show they too have nothing in common with their Governments but all have the same common fight. The resistance to Israeli rule on the occupied West Bank must unify with the struggle in Gaza and elsewhere, if they are to truely succeed . Whether Hamas is capable of building a unified leadership is another question.

    In the mean time, we must call for a speeding up of a total boycott of Israel and derecognition of the Histadrut by our own labour movement, as part of the campaign for solidarity with Palestinians.

    The convoy must be allowed in and the members of Viva Palestine must be allowed to freely enter Gaza from the Egyptian border crossing.

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  2. alf Avatar
    alf

    It is ironic, to say the least, but quite consistent with this Government, that whilst appearing to keep quiet about the way British citizens and others are being treated in Egypt, the Attorney General, Lady Armstrong,
    is prepared to ensure Israeli politicians and members of the IDF will be free from arrest in the UK for war crimes.

    Labour defends the criminals and does little for their victims, the Palestinians. Gordon Brown talks peace but continues to endorse the illegal behaviour of the Israeli Government.

    The labour movement will continue to show solidarity with the Palestinian people inspite of the inaction of the Labour Government. Their conspiracy of silence and guaranteeing immunity from prosecution puts the UK in conflict with all the international agreements on war crimes. If you protect the criminal, Lady Scotland, then you should also be prosecuted for conspiracy. You too are jsut as guilty for hindering the prosecution of the murderers of innocent Palestinian children.

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  3. fiannanahalba Avatar
    fiannanahalba

    They all need a workers bullet- thats rough proletarian justice because theres no point calling for justice from any other quarter.

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  4. Prinkipo Exile Avatar
    Prinkipo Exile

    TV news is now reporting that clashes have now erupted on the Gaza side of the border crossing as Palestinians protest against the Egyptian authorities attack on the convoy. It is claimed that an egyptian has been killed. The convoy is making its way from Al Arish to Rafah. The turkish vehicles are being returned to Syria for refugee camps. Five Turkish MPs are among the convoy members. Expected in Gaza around 1600GMT.

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  5. alf Avatar
    alf

    Galloway said in a speach which correctly condemned the Egyptian President but suggested that Egypt ” Egypt deserved a leader like “that of the Turkish P.M.

    Let us remind the movement the way the Turkish leader treats the issue of Kurdish autonomy. The Constitutional Court has just banned the Kurdish Democratic Society Party (DTP).

    The Constitutional Court ruled the DTP should be closed down, under pressure from the USA and Europe. The ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) talk national unity at the expense of Kurdish rights.

    In Diyarbakir , the riot police attacked a peaceful protest by pro DTP supporters, using water canon.Many carried posters of Abdullah Ocalan, the imprisoned leader of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) rebel group.

    The struggle for national self determination of the Palestinian people and the success of the convoy Viva Palestine, is deserving of our full support and solidarity. Similarly we can win the struggle of one people at the expense of another.

    The struggle against imperialism and colonialism in the Middle East needs to establish a wider international solidarity with all those fighting for their national rights, including the rights of the Kurds.

    George we salute you and the cdes of Viva Palestine in the work that you do for the Palestinian people. Dont forget the Kurds also.

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  6. alf Avatar
    alf

    ” we can win the struggle of one people at the expense of another ” should read ” We can not……” my error

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  7. alf Avatar
    alf

    The latest news is that Turkey is to send a team to Israel to complete a contract for Israeli-made Heron unmanned aerial vehicles, Defense Minister Vecdi Gönül announced late Wednesday.

    The same type of technology was used to attack the people of Gaza! Will they now be turned on the Kurds if they resume their struggle for some form of autonomy and democratic rights?

    Gonul is reported to have said that all differences are now resolved. So much for a leader deserved by others.

    The Egyptian workers and farmers will find their true allies are not the Turkish PM and his allies in the US and Israel but instead are the oppressed masses of the Middle East.

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  8. Mark Victorystooge Avatar
    Mark Victorystooge

    Despite some high-profile displeasure expressed by Erdogan at Davos against Peres, Turkish-Israeli military cooperation remains close.
    Moreover, left-wing protests against the US military base at Incirlik, eastern Turkey, have repeatedly been attacked by police and far right elements over the past couple of weeks.

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  9. Mark Victorystooge Avatar
    Mark Victorystooge

    Police attacking protesters against the US military presence in Turkey at Edirne, January 3. Later, Turkish far right supporters gather and shout chauvinist slogans. Quite often, the police and the far right do a sort of double act in Turkey.

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  10. Mark Victorystooge Avatar
    Mark Victorystooge

    Just to add some background – Turkey has been a NATO member since the 1950s. It is one of those countries in the world where the US military presence is in excess of 1,000 service personnel. In Turkey, they are mainly at the Incirlik base, which is an important staging post for sending US troops to Iraq and Afghanistan.

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  11. alf Avatar
    alf

    Mark thanks for this updating. Yes it is very important that we do not fail to remind ourselves and the movement that the liberation of one section of the oppressed can not be through sowing illusions in the leaders who have been oppressing others. This would be a false internationalism.

    Turkey has played a pivotal role for US imperialist strategy and has wanted some type of allignment which involves Israel, inspite of the internal embarrassment this may cause it. Hence the Turkish PM condemns Egyptian duplicity with Israel on one hand and does the same thing on the other.

    The future for Turkish workers and farmers does not lie in a linkage with Imperialism but in breaking with such collaborators as the Turkish PM and his party. Recognising the right to self – determination of both Palestinians and Kurds is key to this.

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  12. Mark Victorystooge Avatar
    Mark Victorystooge

    Erdogan is, in my opinion, not the inspiring figure some (not just Galloway) believe. Whatever his real beliefs, he would probably be overthrown by the army generals or even the USA if he really took Turkey out of its current military and economic relationships. He has introduced “soundbite politics” to Turkey, and has a flair for media stunts (like Davos) but that is all they are.
    Some on the left in Turkey believe Erdogan is part of a “moderate Islam” project, aimed at undercutting “radical Islam” in part by engaging in radical posturing that has little or no substance.

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