Egypt stops March on Gaza in its tracks

The Global March on Gaza ended an hour outside of Cairo when we were bussed back to the city

- Jimi Matthews

The day started with fear and uncertainty. We had arrived in Cairo two days before amid rumours of detentions, assaults, and deportations. A former colleague of mine had warned, “Watch your back, the authorities are hectic.”

I was in Egypt to join the Global March on Gaza scheduled for Friday 13 June. About 4 000 activists from more than 80 countries had responded to the call to go to the border of Egypt and Gaza, set up a camp and demand the opening of humanitarian corridors into Gaza and an end to the siege.

The idea was to meet in Cairo, board a convoy of buses and to travel to the town of el-Arish in the Sinai Peninsula. Carrying rucksacks, sleeping bags and tents, the participants would then march 45 kilometres on foot to the Rafah border.

Arriving in Cairo as tourists, we would be informed where the pick-up points for the buses would be. We had also been informed that the Egyptian authorities had been approached for permission to proceed to el-Arish. Even before leaving South Africa, we had heard that people were being turned back at the airport in Cairo or that some who had cleared customs were being rounded up and deported.

The atmosphere was reminiscent of those old spy movies set in the Eastern Bloc. “Be careful who you speak to, try not to attract any attention, don’t venture out on your own, beware, even the walls have ears.”

Stories of the notoriety of Egyptian prison conditions and the “disappearance” of people were rife. There were also stories of people who had been attacked by locals opposed to our presence. And above all, that the march would not be allowed.

And so we spent Thursday night huddled in our hotels like fugitives. Surreptitiously we were instructed to be ready to leave at 7am. Directions to the pick-up points would be issued just before we leave the hotel. Later on, the departure time was changed to 12.30.