While We Slept in St. Louis, New Shaking in Cairo
The Gaza Freedom March has evolved politically, literally overnight.
The announcement yesterday by GFM leadership that they would accept an
Egyptian deal to allow 100 marchers into Gaza drew increasing
opposition from the marchers themselves. After overnight
deliberations, the leadership reversed its position and has called for
rallies on Wednesday in Cairo. This has galvanized the marchers and
opened a new political space. As of 5PM Tuesday evening CST (1 AM Wednesday in Cairo), our own
marchers, Hedy Epstein, J'Ann Allen, and Sandra Tamari, had made their
decision not to accept an offer for Hedy and one companion to be
among the 100 going to Gaza and had communicated that to GFM
leadership. Hedy was prepared to make a public statement in Cairo
Wednesday morning at the meeting point for the departure to Gaza
explaining the St. Louis delegation's determination not to allow the
1400 marchers to be broken. Hedy had sent a text message to Medea
Benjamin, "1400 Palestinians died in Gaza, 1400 marchers go to Gaza." Read the various accounts in the postings that follow. Also note these: Sam Husseini who is reporting on the developments:
http://husseini.posterous.com/codepink-calls-off-token-del-what-now Ali Abunimah of the Electronic Intifada who writes: "I am not on a bus to Gaza. The struggle goes on. "This was a very difficult morning. Many delegations to the Gaza
Freedom March rejected the Egyptian offer of two buses to Gaza.
Personally I wanted nothing more to be in Gaza. I did get on a bus.
But I could not go when people I know and trust in Gaza did not want
us to come under such conditions and when there was so much opposition
to this. For me that was the bottom line. Their fear is this small
delegation would be used by the Egyptian government for propaganda and
there was great anger at the statements made by the Egyptian foreign
minister last night maligning the Gaza Freedom March. I understand the
agony of people on those buses who wanted to reach Gaza. I felt that.
But it was impossible. We need to keep up the struggle to end the
siege. We've come this far. Solidarity means standing together and
continuing the struggle."
The announcement yesterday by GFM leadership that they would accept an
Egyptian deal to allow 100 marchers into Gaza drew increasing
opposition from the marchers themselves. After overnight
deliberations, the leadership reversed its position and has called for
rallies on Wednesday in Cairo. This has galvanized the marchers and
opened a new political space. As of 5PM Tuesday evening CST (1 AM Wednesday in Cairo), our own
marchers, Hedy Epstein, J'Ann Allen, and Sandra Tamari, had made their
decision not to accept an offer for Hedy and one companion to be
among the 100 going to Gaza and had communicated that to GFM
leadership. Hedy was prepared to make a public statement in Cairo
Wednesday morning at the meeting point for the departure to Gaza
explaining the St. Louis delegation's determination not to allow the
1400 marchers to be broken. Hedy had sent a text message to Medea
Benjamin, "1400 Palestinians died in Gaza, 1400 marchers go to Gaza." Read the various accounts in the postings that follow. Also note these: Sam Husseini who is reporting on the developments:
http://husseini.posterous.com/codepink-calls-off-token-del-what-now Ali Abunimah of the Electronic Intifada who writes: "I am not on a bus to Gaza. The struggle goes on. "This was a very difficult morning. Many delegations to the Gaza
Freedom March rejected the Egyptian offer of two buses to Gaza.
Personally I wanted nothing more to be in Gaza. I did get on a bus.
But I could not go when people I know and trust in Gaza did not want
us to come under such conditions and when there was so much opposition
to this. For me that was the bottom line. Their fear is this small
delegation would be used by the Egyptian government for propaganda and
there was great anger at the statements made by the Egyptian foreign
minister last night maligning the Gaza Freedom March. I understand the
agony of people on those buses who wanted to reach Gaza. I felt that.
But it was impossible. We need to keep up the struggle to end the
siege. We've come this far. Solidarity means standing together and
continuing the struggle."
