08-01-2010, 10:02 PM
GMS BULLETIN #5
Hi, friends, many apologies for not keeping you up to date. I have had difficulties getting on line etc But others have been much more efficient and I hope you were able to access that.
I am now in Israel, got through n o trouble at all, but I was well prepared on case there was, all revealing materials carefully removed.
Overall, I think the actions in Egypt were remarkably effective. We made our presence felt with the people of Cairo and beyond. They were very supportive to see us doing what they have no right to do. We exposed the role of the Egyptian government as a supine client state of the US and Israel @ $US2billion US aid a year, second only to Israel as a recipient of US aid, They have just been bashing the shit out of the Viva Palestina people at Al Arish? Rafah?
We have the Cairo Declaration of BDS against Israel with a plan of action to go with it, including a tour by a Palestinian and aSouth African speaker, (the Declaration was done at th initiative of the South African delegation) so that raises the campaign to a new level.
People have worked together who have ever done so before, and there will now be an international steering committee representing the 43 countries who took part in Cairo. Another important gain.
The rally on 31 December was particularly good. The strategy had been to gather in two’s and three’s around a major square in Cairo. Then, at a given signal we all swarmed together in the centre of the square with signs, including in Arabic. It was a great sight. We were all crushed together and |I applied all my energies to staying on my feet. Some people sat down on the road – I felt too vulnerable doing that and stayed standing. |I moved to the pavement when shioved in that direction by a cop. Others made of sterner stuff sat down and some got pretty roughed up. At least one broken limb. Gareth got a kick or a bad hit on his ankle that came up in an ugly bruise that blistered and wept. We had to take him to hospital. Marlene got dragged by the hair and felt pretty sore afterwards. It was evident that the police had decided to tolerate us if we stayed corralled behind their lines of bovver boys. But we still got the word out with banners strung up on trees. Overa!
ll, we were treated with kid gloves compared with what the Egyptian citizenry would get if they challenged the limits.
One taxi driver I was with responded ‘Go-o-o-d woo-maan!’ when told him I had been on the Gaza Freedom March. Then he went on to say how much he hated the Egyptian Government and how everyone in Egypt felt the same. ’Not 90%, not 95%, not 99% but one hundred % of the people ha-a-a-te this government.’ He told me he earns E£200 a month as an accountant with the government and drives taxis to make ends meet. This was a similar story to our driver to the pyramids who was a teacher and earned E£135 a month. My taxi driver friend said the government ministers earned millions a month. While that may be passionate exaggeration, the disparity, and the hatred it engenders are not in doubt. He recalled the call for revolution of the French camping outside the French Embassy and said that his country needed a revolution. He said it could happen in a year. Whatever the reality, that certainly was his hope.
Our guide to the pyramids was a fervent Nasser supporter and was absolutely delighted when we sang the Internationale. He insisted that we sing it when we came back to the camel stables so that his boss could hear it.
The manager of the hotel I stayed at was not at all on side with the Palestinians but even he said people were happy with what we had done.
The few who did go to Gaza from the Gaza Freedom March (but as individuals, not representing us) brought important insights back about the relationship of the NGOs with the Hamas government. The march was very small because PNGO, the Palestinian Non- Governmental Organisations group had pulled out of it because Hamas insisted on taking control. The blatant removal of the women was very revealing of the nature of the regime.
So overall, our intervention was quite a success.
I have a number of meetings set up in Israel/Palestine and plan to take part in the weekly demos in Sheik Jarrah (against the expulsions of Palestians from their homes in Jerusalem) and B’lin against the dispossession wall. And on Saturday I am going for a hike in the Jordan Valley.
So love to you all, and all best
Vivienne
Hi, friends, many apologies for not keeping you up to date. I have had difficulties getting on line etc But others have been much more efficient and I hope you were able to access that.
I am now in Israel, got through n o trouble at all, but I was well prepared on case there was, all revealing materials carefully removed.
Overall, I think the actions in Egypt were remarkably effective. We made our presence felt with the people of Cairo and beyond. They were very supportive to see us doing what they have no right to do. We exposed the role of the Egyptian government as a supine client state of the US and Israel @ $US2billion US aid a year, second only to Israel as a recipient of US aid, They have just been bashing the shit out of the Viva Palestina people at Al Arish? Rafah?
We have the Cairo Declaration of BDS against Israel with a plan of action to go with it, including a tour by a Palestinian and aSouth African speaker, (the Declaration was done at th initiative of the South African delegation) so that raises the campaign to a new level.
People have worked together who have ever done so before, and there will now be an international steering committee representing the 43 countries who took part in Cairo. Another important gain.
The rally on 31 December was particularly good. The strategy had been to gather in two’s and three’s around a major square in Cairo. Then, at a given signal we all swarmed together in the centre of the square with signs, including in Arabic. It was a great sight. We were all crushed together and |I applied all my energies to staying on my feet. Some people sat down on the road – I felt too vulnerable doing that and stayed standing. |I moved to the pavement when shioved in that direction by a cop. Others made of sterner stuff sat down and some got pretty roughed up. At least one broken limb. Gareth got a kick or a bad hit on his ankle that came up in an ugly bruise that blistered and wept. We had to take him to hospital. Marlene got dragged by the hair and felt pretty sore afterwards. It was evident that the police had decided to tolerate us if we stayed corralled behind their lines of bovver boys. But we still got the word out with banners strung up on trees. Overa!
ll, we were treated with kid gloves compared with what the Egyptian citizenry would get if they challenged the limits.
One taxi driver I was with responded ‘Go-o-o-d woo-maan!’ when told him I had been on the Gaza Freedom March. Then he went on to say how much he hated the Egyptian Government and how everyone in Egypt felt the same. ’Not 90%, not 95%, not 99% but one hundred % of the people ha-a-a-te this government.’ He told me he earns E£200 a month as an accountant with the government and drives taxis to make ends meet. This was a similar story to our driver to the pyramids who was a teacher and earned E£135 a month. My taxi driver friend said the government ministers earned millions a month. While that may be passionate exaggeration, the disparity, and the hatred it engenders are not in doubt. He recalled the call for revolution of the French camping outside the French Embassy and said that his country needed a revolution. He said it could happen in a year. Whatever the reality, that certainly was his hope.
Our guide to the pyramids was a fervent Nasser supporter and was absolutely delighted when we sang the Internationale. He insisted that we sing it when we came back to the camel stables so that his boss could hear it.
The manager of the hotel I stayed at was not at all on side with the Palestinians but even he said people were happy with what we had done.
The few who did go to Gaza from the Gaza Freedom March (but as individuals, not representing us) brought important insights back about the relationship of the NGOs with the Hamas government. The march was very small because PNGO, the Palestinian Non- Governmental Organisations group had pulled out of it because Hamas insisted on taking control. The blatant removal of the women was very revealing of the nature of the regime.
So overall, our intervention was quite a success.
I have a number of meetings set up in Israel/Palestine and plan to take part in the weekly demos in Sheik Jarrah (against the expulsions of Palestians from their homes in Jerusalem) and B’lin against the dispossession wall. And on Saturday I am going for a hike in the Jordan Valley.
So love to you all, and all best
Vivienne
"The philosophers have only interpreted the world, in various ways. The point, however, is to change it." Karl Marx
"He would, wouldn't he?" Mandy Rice-Davies. When asked in court whether she knew that Lord Astor had denied having sex with her.
“I think it would be a good idea” Ghandi, when asked about Western Civilisation.
"He would, wouldn't he?" Mandy Rice-Davies. When asked in court whether she knew that Lord Astor had denied having sex with her.
“I think it would be a good idea” Ghandi, when asked about Western Civilisation.