If you haven't read already, I published a press release that was sent out earlier today notifying everyone that people affiliated with the Gaza Freedom March were put under house arrest temporarily in hotel in al-Arish and also several people who were trying to leave al-Arish were detained and were still in prison at least up until the afternoon.
The silent candle light vigil that was held today by the lawyers union ended in a really ugly way when the group of mostly local Egyptian nationals were not only surrounded by state security but then also beaten up for holding the memorial.
The 4:30 p.m. memorial that was supposed to take place in dozens of boats on the Nile also encountered many complications when we found out that we weren't allowed to rent or board any of the boats so that we could place the 1400 candles along the Nile. We ended up rallying in front of the Nile anyway, and of course tons of police came and within an hour we also saw these massive armored trucks starting to show up (kind of like the type the SWAT team in the U.S. use) and so pretty soon we dispersed because we clearly did not want to be rounded up and thrown into trucks and taken to jail.
At the 7:30 meeting at Al-Mogamma we also found out the news that the bus company who we had a reservation to take everyone in the March to al-Arish would not be able to any longer because the Egyptian government threatened to revoke their licenses and shut down their business entirely if they took us. So needless to say, we can no longer go. Also - this just might be my inner conspiracy theorist in me speaking - but I am convinced that this place has to be swarming with spies and the like. Its just too political to not be and some people have been super shady, too.
All of these things are so unreal to me right now. I knew that our political presence and demonstrating in Egypt were not really welcome, especially to a government that could care less about public opinion and freedom of speech, but seriously - beating people up? detaining them for hours? shutting down entire companies? Furthermore, we don't WANT to stay in Egypt any longer than we have to. Even though I have my issues with the Egyptian government, I did not come here this time for them and I'm sure as hell that neither did the rest of the 1300+ people. We came to stand with the Palestinians, deliver aid, and bring back their stories. Sigh.
It sounds like Egypt has taken a page out of Israel's book and is acting in an eerily familiar way when people that challenge the state and wish to exercise their "right" to free speech. Its so sad and outrageous at the same time.
As far as getting into Gaza is concerned, things aren't looking so well to be honest. The latest that I have heard is that Rafah will be opening on January 3rd, 4th, and 5th, for the Viva Palestina convoy and we're hoping that this generosity might be inclusive of all internationals as well. That is really the only hope that I really see remaining of us getting into Gaza because other than that everything is looking pretty bleak. I know that some of the other subdivisions within the March like the students group and the interfaith group might hold smaller solidarity actions in strategic locations in Egypt but I'm not really sure what those might be. I'm also uncertain to what the outcomes for those will be as well seeing as how some of the other, quite simple things, have taken such a bad turn.
So today it was my 22nd birthday :) I was honestly a bit homesick because its hard to celebrate when all your loved ones are away but it was still a good day, alhumdulilah.
So I slept in today and ended up missing the 11 a.m. vigil that was planned on the Nile Bridge. Turns out though, that police ended up breaking up the memorial anyway and removed what the people had put up there to commemorate those lives lost in the Gaza Massacre.
I later went to the 4:30 p.m. memorial on the Nile and luckily I ran into Matt and his mom, Patty, who are also from the DMV and so afterwards we grabbed a quick bite to eat before the 7:30 meeting at al-Mogamma.
After that I met up with Sherif and Rania, who are probably two of the nicest people in the world, and for my birthday we went to get some Koshary and mango juice from Farghali. I am so extremely stuffed right now even after eating like 4 hours ago. I love the food here :) I was also telling Efo, that Cairo really feels like a city where everyone is in love. You see couples all the time, sitting along the Nile, holding hands, "canoodling" lol, and just being super romantic - its really adorable.
I think Efo made a really good point though that people are this way because being in love or spending time with a significant other is really one of the few ways the people can escape briefly from a harsh reality of stark class structure/privilege and intense political oppression. It honestly makes a lot of sense too and in some ways its a beautiful surprise back to reality because even in countries or places, very much like Palestine, people still live and time goes on. So as strange as it might seem at first, even under occupation and repression, people fall in love, get married, give birth, and/or celebrate birthdays. At the end of the day, we all just to be normal and to be human, and love is one of the few things that survives amidst the most harshest of surroundings. So tonight, I'm sending lots of love your way. xox
Thinking of Gaza and Palestine, always.
-Sana J.
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