Before Christmas, I received an email from local Code Pink activist Elizabeth Barger who said that she was “going to Gaza the day after Christmas:”
I know that we can help bring healing and light to all who need it. I am sure that it is possible to awaken all hearts to the knowledge that it is in their power to open the doors of oppression and fear into light and freedom. If I didn’t think it would make a difference, I would stay home with my friends and family and wait for the end of time. But my deepest heart knows that there is much we can do as we act with purpose and with love, I ask the strength of our prayers to go with the thousand marchers and me to the people in Gaza. We can end the wars in the world. Blessings on us all.
She then sent an update on New Year’s Eve that alluded to rising tensions:
We have been denied a central place to gather and are scattered around the town in small hotels. The main gathering hotel has been under severe survelnce and access today of the large march that was planned has been closed down. Units of the riot police march through the area regularly [one just passed. ] Marchers have been contained in side streets and the demonstrators in front of the hotel are gone, but there are 3 upper degree plain clothes police are standing at the entry. Many protesters are sitting down and tensions are obvious. Residents are much more restrained now that the authorities are cutting down. My friend and I are moving around the city to observe and we are being careful. We bought a few things and are carrying shopping bags and that has seemed to make us fairly ordinary looking.
It’s been a few days since I last heard from Elizabeth but an opportunity to interview other Americans participating in the demonstrations was sent to Liberadio(!) from the Institute for Public Accuracy. The solicitation included video of demonstrators being dragged and beaten and a further update:
On New Year’s Eve — shortly after the Egyptian government had prevented buses from taking them to Gaza — hundreds of people, including scores from the U.S., who were attempting to march in Cairo were kicked, punched and dragged into a holding area by plainclothes Egyptian government forces.
Protests in Cairo have been ongoing; one took place Monday in front of the Prosecutor’s Office, roughly the equivalent of the Justice Department. This protest included about 40 Egyptians and 40 internationals. On New Year’s Day, several hundred people protested in front of the Israeli embassy in Cairo; protests there are virtually unheard of — prohibited by the Egyptian authorities. During protests, people have almost always been penned into areas to prevent their being seen by the general public.
KPCC, Southern California Public Radio reports today that “Busloads of people have been crossing in and out of Gaza since Sunday” during a “rare opening by Egypt of the only border Gaza shares with a country other than Israel, which has kept a tight blockade on the Palestinian territory since Hamas took control there more than two years ago.”
Just thought you should know that one of our own is experiencing the craziness first hand.
