Saturday, June 5, 2010

Protesting the Egyptian-Israeli Siege on Gaza

Around 200 activists congregated outside the Journalists' Syndicate in downtown Cairo, on June 5, to protest against the joint Egyptian-Israeli siege imposed upon 1.5 million residents of the Gaza Strip.

This protest was also intended as a show of solidarity with the Freedom Flotilla to Gaza, and a commemoration of the devastating 1967 War - in which Israel occupied Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, Syria's Golan Heights, Lebanon's Shebaa Farms, along with the Palestinian West Bank and Gaza Strip.


The protesters chanted against Dictator/President Hosni Mubarak, accurately describing him as a stooge of US imperialism and as an ally of Zionism. Speakers mentioned that the Egyptian government's opening of the Rafah border crossing with Gaza was merely a PR stunt in light of the mounting pressure on Egypt and Israel to lift their joint siege on the Gaza Strip.

Activists, aid workers, and physicians who had recently been delivering humanitarian supplies to the Gaza Strip described how Egyptian border authorities delayed their passage for hours, and even days, before being allowed to let in humanitarian aid and medical supplies.


Other goods such as electricity generators, concrete and reinforced steel for construction efforts in Gaza have been obstructed. While the flow of Gazans to and from Egypt has been limited as the border crossing is open for only a few hours each day.


A humanitarian convoy is set to depart from the Lawyers' Syndicate to the Gaza Strip on Monday.

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