[web]https://lonehighlander.blogspot.com/[/web]
It's nice to see comments from someone who's not actually part of the convoy.
George Galloway - From London to Gaza
Earlier I saw a report on BBC Scotland's news about how a convoy of 7 trucks which had taken a different route to Gaza, and wasn't connected to Viva Palestina, has been stopped at the Syrian border with a demand for £3000 before being allowed to continue.
I had a look for the story, but couldn't find it.#
edit: here's a story about the convoy from before it left.
https://www.imemc.org/article/58814
I had a look for the story, but couldn't find it.#
edit: here's a story about the convoy from before it left.
https://www.imemc.org/article/58814
Galloway's Gaza mission runs into protests
George Galloway's high-profile mission to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza has run into controversy, just as his convoy reaches the final leg of its 5,000 mile journey.
Egyptian activists who had been planning to welcome Galloway's Viva Palestina trucks as they cross from Libya into Egypt today will instead be staying at home, after allegations surfaced that Galloway was planning to take part in official receptions with the unpopular Egyptian government, despite having recently called for it to be overthrown.
Rumours that Galloway had agreed to meet Ahmed Ezz, a steel magnate who is a close associate of President Hosni Mubarak and has been caught up in several corruption scandals, caused an outcry among groups opposed to a president Galloway has dismissed as a tyrant.
The mile convoy of 110 vehicles left England on 14 February and travelled through Europe and North Africa. Egyptian opposition groups had been preparing a "red carpet" welcome for Galloway and his caravan, impressed at the British MP's forceful denunciations of Mubarak's stance on the Gaza crisis. The Egyptian government largely refused to open its Rafah border crossing with Gaza during Israel's recent 22-day military assault on the area, prompting Galloway to declare that the "dictatorship" of Mubarak was "jointly responsible for the murder of every Palestinian who has died these last two years".
Earlier this week, Saad el-Katany, an MP for the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood, said Galloway's arrival and the issue of aid for Gaza had united Egypt's fragmented opposition movement. "Egyptians across the political spectrum welcome the European convoy," Katany said in a statement. The sentiment was echoed by Abdel Gelil Moustafa, a co-ordinator for Kefaya, the country's largest secular opposition force, who promised public receptions for the convoy at each of its stops in Egypt.
But yesterday the opposition mood soured after accusations that Galloway had planned to co-ordinate with the ruling NDP party and take part in a welcoming ceremony featuring Ezz. In a statement on its website, the Egyptian Popular Committee for the Support of the Palestinian People - an umbrella organisation of opposition groups - said it was cancelling its plan to receive Galloway's convoy.
Some activists are claiming that Galloway was allowing the aid convoy to be used as a propaganda stunt by a repressive government. Hossam el-Hamalawy, a prominent opposition blogger, labelled Viva Palestina an "ass-kissing carnival".
Speaking from the Libyan desert last night, where the convoy was making the final 90-mile drive towards the Egyptian border, one of the organisers of Viva Palestina denied any suggestion that Galloway was ingratiating himself with Mubarak. "We are totally not involved in the domestic politics of any of the countries we go through, particularly not Egypt," said Sabah el-Mokhtar, a British lawyer.
from https://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/ma ... government
and galloways office responce
'Tittle Tattle' in The Guardian
George Galloway's office responds to today's article.
Re: Guardian article March 3, ' Galloway's Gaza mission runs into protests'
It says everything we need to know about cynical journalism (March 3) that the first time the Guardian chooses to cover the Viva Palestina convoy of aid to Gaza - an epic journey of over 5,000 miles - it is to repeat as fact tittle tattle culled from the blogosphere.
Two hundred and eighty people have driven through eight different countries to deliver over a million pounds of aid to the stricken people of Gaza. Everywhere we have been, the convoy has been greeted with thousands of well-wishers who have provided food, fuel and accommodation.
The Algerian government allowed passage across the border with Morocco for the first time in 15 years. In Tunisia we were joined by six of the people who the Lancashire police wrongly arrested and detained, preventing them reaching London for the start of the journey.
In Libya we were celebrated by thousands on the streets and a Libyan charity, inspired by the convoy, has established its own convoy of trucks to Gaza.
We are currently negotiating entry into Egypt and passage through to Gaza. The Egyptian authorities are doing everything they can to assist the process and we are in their hands, as we have been with all the other governments whose countries we have crossed in order to take these vital supplies into Gaza.
The Viva Palestina convoy and the achievements of the 280 volunteers who have driven so far deserve celebration, not denigration by The Guardian.
Rob Hoveman
Assistant to George Galloway MP
House of Commons
London SW1A 0AA
George Galloway's high-profile mission to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza has run into controversy, just as his convoy reaches the final leg of its 5,000 mile journey.
Egyptian activists who had been planning to welcome Galloway's Viva Palestina trucks as they cross from Libya into Egypt today will instead be staying at home, after allegations surfaced that Galloway was planning to take part in official receptions with the unpopular Egyptian government, despite having recently called for it to be overthrown.
Rumours that Galloway had agreed to meet Ahmed Ezz, a steel magnate who is a close associate of President Hosni Mubarak and has been caught up in several corruption scandals, caused an outcry among groups opposed to a president Galloway has dismissed as a tyrant.
The mile convoy of 110 vehicles left England on 14 February and travelled through Europe and North Africa. Egyptian opposition groups had been preparing a "red carpet" welcome for Galloway and his caravan, impressed at the British MP's forceful denunciations of Mubarak's stance on the Gaza crisis. The Egyptian government largely refused to open its Rafah border crossing with Gaza during Israel's recent 22-day military assault on the area, prompting Galloway to declare that the "dictatorship" of Mubarak was "jointly responsible for the murder of every Palestinian who has died these last two years".
Earlier this week, Saad el-Katany, an MP for the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood, said Galloway's arrival and the issue of aid for Gaza had united Egypt's fragmented opposition movement. "Egyptians across the political spectrum welcome the European convoy," Katany said in a statement. The sentiment was echoed by Abdel Gelil Moustafa, a co-ordinator for Kefaya, the country's largest secular opposition force, who promised public receptions for the convoy at each of its stops in Egypt.
But yesterday the opposition mood soured after accusations that Galloway had planned to co-ordinate with the ruling NDP party and take part in a welcoming ceremony featuring Ezz. In a statement on its website, the Egyptian Popular Committee for the Support of the Palestinian People - an umbrella organisation of opposition groups - said it was cancelling its plan to receive Galloway's convoy.
Some activists are claiming that Galloway was allowing the aid convoy to be used as a propaganda stunt by a repressive government. Hossam el-Hamalawy, a prominent opposition blogger, labelled Viva Palestina an "ass-kissing carnival".
Speaking from the Libyan desert last night, where the convoy was making the final 90-mile drive towards the Egyptian border, one of the organisers of Viva Palestina denied any suggestion that Galloway was ingratiating himself with Mubarak. "We are totally not involved in the domestic politics of any of the countries we go through, particularly not Egypt," said Sabah el-Mokhtar, a British lawyer.
from https://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/ma ... government
and galloways office responce
'Tittle Tattle' in The Guardian
George Galloway's office responds to today's article.
Re: Guardian article March 3, ' Galloway's Gaza mission runs into protests'
It says everything we need to know about cynical journalism (March 3) that the first time the Guardian chooses to cover the Viva Palestina convoy of aid to Gaza - an epic journey of over 5,000 miles - it is to repeat as fact tittle tattle culled from the blogosphere.
Two hundred and eighty people have driven through eight different countries to deliver over a million pounds of aid to the stricken people of Gaza. Everywhere we have been, the convoy has been greeted with thousands of well-wishers who have provided food, fuel and accommodation.
The Algerian government allowed passage across the border with Morocco for the first time in 15 years. In Tunisia we were joined by six of the people who the Lancashire police wrongly arrested and detained, preventing them reaching London for the start of the journey.
In Libya we were celebrated by thousands on the streets and a Libyan charity, inspired by the convoy, has established its own convoy of trucks to Gaza.
We are currently negotiating entry into Egypt and passage through to Gaza. The Egyptian authorities are doing everything they can to assist the process and we are in their hands, as we have been with all the other governments whose countries we have crossed in order to take these vital supplies into Gaza.
The Viva Palestina convoy and the achievements of the 280 volunteers who have driven so far deserve celebration, not denigration by The Guardian.
Rob Hoveman
Assistant to George Galloway MP
House of Commons
London SW1A 0AA
Here's the blog of the 'journalist' who wrote the article...
https://jackshenker.blogspot.com/
I say 'journalist' because he's not objective. His writing is biased and controlled by that bias.
I was going to leave a comment on his blog, but he'll probably be too busy trying to grow a beard for it to be worth the effort...
(ad hominem of course, but he's clearly a cunt!)
https://jackshenker.blogspot.com/
I say 'journalist' because he's not objective. His writing is biased and controlled by that bias.
I was going to leave a comment on his blog, but he'll probably be too busy trying to grow a beard for it to be worth the effort...
(ad hominem of course, but he's clearly a cunt!)
-
VivaGalloway
- admin
- Posts: 26
- Joined: Sat Feb 21, 2009 4:25 am
[web]https://www.queensferrygazette.co.uk/new ... 5047107.jp[/web]
More info about the other convoy I posted about earlier in the week.
More info about the other convoy I posted about earlier in the week.
[align=center]A message from the Viva Palestina website
Viva Palestina is your story[/align]
Thirty years ago, as an 11-year-old boy, I remember eagerly awaiting 5.05pm on a Monday and Thursday for the start of Blue Peter. I, like millions of other children, was desperate for our first glimpse of the totaliser – the bright flashing lights showing us how much money we had raised between programmes for that year’s Blue Peter Appeal. The 1979 appeal, with it's bring and buy sales, had been launched after the horrors of Cambodia’s ‘killing fields’ had been exposed to the world.
And it wasn’t just children who wanted to know – the weekly total was reported on the national news and in the national papers, journalists sought out heart-warming stories of those who had given up their toys, clothes and books to help the impoverished and destitute thousands of miles away in South East Asia.
Working on the website for Viva Palestina I have had the daily task of making our own appeal totaliser reflect the generosity of another generation. Each day I’ve been overwhelmed by the scale of the donations and the stories that accompany them – of a four year old child in Manchester who emptied her piggy bank for the children of Gaza and so spurred her family into raising over £1,600; of the four girls in Torquay who baked cakes to sell at their school, of the hundreds of children in Preston who packed shoeboxes with toys and presents for other children whom they had never met. These stories have been repeated up and down the country – and they are a shining tribute to Britain at its best.
And just as in 1979 they should have been reported - shouted from the rooftops and celebrated in articles in the Sunday colour supplements.
Here was a truly incredible story – of an aid mission that in just eight weeks had galvanised community after community to create a convoy of over 100 vehicles, laden with over £1 million of aid and then driven over 5000 miles and two continents to relieve the suffering in Gaza.
And it was a movement that was created from scratch, with no full time staff - just a website, a few blogs, text messages, public meetings and a million conversations. Surely this would be worth reporting; surely this was news….
But the sad reality is that the Viva Palestina convoy, carrying the love and human solidarity from the people of Britain to the people of Gaza has been deemed un-newsworthy by nearly all of the British media.
The BBC, who next week will entreat us all to do ‘something funny for money’ in aid of Comic Relief has felt fit to mention the Convoy just three times on its website (and once hidden away in the Africa pages). The Guardian, that bastion of ‘liberal Britain’ only reported it once it thought it had the makings of a nasty little smear. The Independent showed its ‘independence’ by spiking a column by Mark Steel, which discussed Viva Palestina.
We did get media coverage from abroad – from France and Spain, Italy, Canada and a host of other countries but in Britain we had to rely on the work of a few journalists on local newspapers who still recognise a good story when they see one.
One can’t help but wonder how the national media would have responded had the convoy been headed for Darfur instead of Gaza - or had not been supported so over-whelmingly by Britain’s beleaguered Muslim community. Perhaps we may have even have made it onto Blue Peter.
Depressingly, our most prominent publicity came when nine of our convoy members were arrested in the piece of pure political theatre on the M65 - the day before the convoy departed. Yet the same media outlets, that reported the arrests with such gusto on the day of departure, chose to ignore or downgrade the news that all nine men were entirely innocent and had been released without charge. Even the terrible damage to community relations in Blackburn and Burnley resulting from these arrests was not a news-worthy topic for Britain’s ‘quality’ press.
The Viva Palestina convoy has been a remarkable achievement; it has overcome a virtual media blackout, the cynical arrests of some of its members and the refusal of banks to allow us to open accounts.
Yet despite all this we are now just a few hours away from taking our aid into Gaza. The vehicles and their contents represent the hopes of millions and the solidarity of whole communities: of families, mosques, churches and schools. Whatever happens at the Rafah crossing today – and we hope and pray for a swift and smooth crossing into Gaza – Viva Palestina has been a remarkable story.
It is a story that has only just begun. Its first chapter lasted just one hectic month from an inspired idea hatched by George Galloway in early January to the departure on Valentine’s Day in London’s Hyde Park. Its second chapter, the journey itself, is almost over and we hope it will soon be told in a film, report back meetings and, it has been suggested, perhaps a book as well.
The story will now continue into its third chapter with the distribution of the convoy’s aid and the purchase and delivery of even more – from water-purification systems for schools and neighbourhoods to a field hospital and medical equipment for the injured, tents for the homeless and much more. Convoy members will return with the names of clinics, schools and communities with which to twin their local communities in Britain.
If our media, whose own cynicism has been so badly exposed by their silence, continue to write Viva Palestina out of the news then we must do all we can to spread the news ourselves. We have shown that what ordinary people do can make a real difference - and perhaps that is what the editors and news-chiefs hate most of all. Or maybe we just didn't have enough celebrities driving the fire engine!
So in the quiet moments before the crossing I would like to thank all those who have worked so hard for this project. Those who collected the aid, sorted it, packed it and filled the vehicles; those who donated online - from over thirty five countries across the globe – and who filled the collecting tins and buckets; the drivers with their legendary endurance and those who found time to blog their stories; the local newspaper journalists who reported the convoy and the journalists who wrote stories that their editors refused to print: to the people who sent in their pictures and video clips to the website - and finally to Farid Arada who kept us all up to date with his daily reports on the convoy’s location. The Viva Palestina story is your story.
The investigative journalist John Pilger, who broke the news of Cambodia’s ‘killing fields’ three decades ago, has made a film called ‘Palestine is still the issue’ - and he is right. The convoy story is but one bright spark in the ongoing tragedy of Palestine and its courageous people. The issue remains to be resolved but Viva Palestina has taken us one step closer to a solution – a solution based on solidarity, co-operation and love.
Clive Searle
Viva Palestina website
--------------------
Viva Palestina is your story[/align]
Thirty years ago, as an 11-year-old boy, I remember eagerly awaiting 5.05pm on a Monday and Thursday for the start of Blue Peter. I, like millions of other children, was desperate for our first glimpse of the totaliser – the bright flashing lights showing us how much money we had raised between programmes for that year’s Blue Peter Appeal. The 1979 appeal, with it's bring and buy sales, had been launched after the horrors of Cambodia’s ‘killing fields’ had been exposed to the world.
And it wasn’t just children who wanted to know – the weekly total was reported on the national news and in the national papers, journalists sought out heart-warming stories of those who had given up their toys, clothes and books to help the impoverished and destitute thousands of miles away in South East Asia.
Working on the website for Viva Palestina I have had the daily task of making our own appeal totaliser reflect the generosity of another generation. Each day I’ve been overwhelmed by the scale of the donations and the stories that accompany them – of a four year old child in Manchester who emptied her piggy bank for the children of Gaza and so spurred her family into raising over £1,600; of the four girls in Torquay who baked cakes to sell at their school, of the hundreds of children in Preston who packed shoeboxes with toys and presents for other children whom they had never met. These stories have been repeated up and down the country – and they are a shining tribute to Britain at its best.
And just as in 1979 they should have been reported - shouted from the rooftops and celebrated in articles in the Sunday colour supplements.
Here was a truly incredible story – of an aid mission that in just eight weeks had galvanised community after community to create a convoy of over 100 vehicles, laden with over £1 million of aid and then driven over 5000 miles and two continents to relieve the suffering in Gaza.
And it was a movement that was created from scratch, with no full time staff - just a website, a few blogs, text messages, public meetings and a million conversations. Surely this would be worth reporting; surely this was news….
But the sad reality is that the Viva Palestina convoy, carrying the love and human solidarity from the people of Britain to the people of Gaza has been deemed un-newsworthy by nearly all of the British media.
The BBC, who next week will entreat us all to do ‘something funny for money’ in aid of Comic Relief has felt fit to mention the Convoy just three times on its website (and once hidden away in the Africa pages). The Guardian, that bastion of ‘liberal Britain’ only reported it once it thought it had the makings of a nasty little smear. The Independent showed its ‘independence’ by spiking a column by Mark Steel, which discussed Viva Palestina.
We did get media coverage from abroad – from France and Spain, Italy, Canada and a host of other countries but in Britain we had to rely on the work of a few journalists on local newspapers who still recognise a good story when they see one.
One can’t help but wonder how the national media would have responded had the convoy been headed for Darfur instead of Gaza - or had not been supported so over-whelmingly by Britain’s beleaguered Muslim community. Perhaps we may have even have made it onto Blue Peter.
Depressingly, our most prominent publicity came when nine of our convoy members were arrested in the piece of pure political theatre on the M65 - the day before the convoy departed. Yet the same media outlets, that reported the arrests with such gusto on the day of departure, chose to ignore or downgrade the news that all nine men were entirely innocent and had been released without charge. Even the terrible damage to community relations in Blackburn and Burnley resulting from these arrests was not a news-worthy topic for Britain’s ‘quality’ press.
The Viva Palestina convoy has been a remarkable achievement; it has overcome a virtual media blackout, the cynical arrests of some of its members and the refusal of banks to allow us to open accounts.
Yet despite all this we are now just a few hours away from taking our aid into Gaza. The vehicles and their contents represent the hopes of millions and the solidarity of whole communities: of families, mosques, churches and schools. Whatever happens at the Rafah crossing today – and we hope and pray for a swift and smooth crossing into Gaza – Viva Palestina has been a remarkable story.
It is a story that has only just begun. Its first chapter lasted just one hectic month from an inspired idea hatched by George Galloway in early January to the departure on Valentine’s Day in London’s Hyde Park. Its second chapter, the journey itself, is almost over and we hope it will soon be told in a film, report back meetings and, it has been suggested, perhaps a book as well.
The story will now continue into its third chapter with the distribution of the convoy’s aid and the purchase and delivery of even more – from water-purification systems for schools and neighbourhoods to a field hospital and medical equipment for the injured, tents for the homeless and much more. Convoy members will return with the names of clinics, schools and communities with which to twin their local communities in Britain.
If our media, whose own cynicism has been so badly exposed by their silence, continue to write Viva Palestina out of the news then we must do all we can to spread the news ourselves. We have shown that what ordinary people do can make a real difference - and perhaps that is what the editors and news-chiefs hate most of all. Or maybe we just didn't have enough celebrities driving the fire engine!
So in the quiet moments before the crossing I would like to thank all those who have worked so hard for this project. Those who collected the aid, sorted it, packed it and filled the vehicles; those who donated online - from over thirty five countries across the globe – and who filled the collecting tins and buckets; the drivers with their legendary endurance and those who found time to blog their stories; the local newspaper journalists who reported the convoy and the journalists who wrote stories that their editors refused to print: to the people who sent in their pictures and video clips to the website - and finally to Farid Arada who kept us all up to date with his daily reports on the convoy’s location. The Viva Palestina story is your story.
The investigative journalist John Pilger, who broke the news of Cambodia’s ‘killing fields’ three decades ago, has made a film called ‘Palestine is still the issue’ - and he is right. The convoy story is but one bright spark in the ongoing tragedy of Palestine and its courageous people. The issue remains to be resolved but Viva Palestina has taken us one step closer to a solution – a solution based on solidarity, co-operation and love.
Clive Searle
Viva Palestina website
--------------------
[align=center]Galloway activists clash with Egyptian security at Gaza border
Monsters and Critics
Mar 8, 2009, 16:52 GMT[/align]
Al-Arish, Egypt- Multi-national activists belonging to British MP George Galloway's 'Viva Palestina' humanitarian aid convoy clashed on Sunday with Egyptian security forces in the north Sinai town of al-Arish, close to the border with Gaza. Clashes erupted after the convoy was refused entry to the crossing point at the town of Rafah, which is bisected by the border between the Gaza Strip and Egypt.
Galloway arrived in Cairo on Saturday to join the road convoy that had set out from London last month carrying relief for war-torn Gaza, and which had entered Egypt from Libya on Thursday. Galloway, who has long been denied entry to Egypt for his criticisms of Egyptian President Hosny Mubarak, was able to coordinate with Egyptian authorities to allow entrance of the convoy before his arrival.
Galloway, along with the activists, was received in Rafah by officials from the ruling National Democratic Party. The official reception however led several opposition groups, which had been campaigning for the opening of the crossing, to cancelled a planned reception for the convoy when it crossed from Libya on Thursday.
Egyptian authorities on Sunday said they would allow Galloway and members of the convoy to enter Gaza through Rafah, but that entry of the convoy itself would have to be coordinated with Israel. As members of the convoy refused to follow orders, they returned back to al-Arish where a row erupted with security police that led to the injury of two activists.
The convoy includes 12 ambulances, a fire engine, and more than 1.4 million dollars-worth of aid.
--------------------
ah crap, I hope it isn't scuppered at the last hurdle.
Monsters and Critics
Mar 8, 2009, 16:52 GMT[/align]
Al-Arish, Egypt- Multi-national activists belonging to British MP George Galloway's 'Viva Palestina' humanitarian aid convoy clashed on Sunday with Egyptian security forces in the north Sinai town of al-Arish, close to the border with Gaza. Clashes erupted after the convoy was refused entry to the crossing point at the town of Rafah, which is bisected by the border between the Gaza Strip and Egypt.
Galloway arrived in Cairo on Saturday to join the road convoy that had set out from London last month carrying relief for war-torn Gaza, and which had entered Egypt from Libya on Thursday. Galloway, who has long been denied entry to Egypt for his criticisms of Egyptian President Hosny Mubarak, was able to coordinate with Egyptian authorities to allow entrance of the convoy before his arrival.
Galloway, along with the activists, was received in Rafah by officials from the ruling National Democratic Party. The official reception however led several opposition groups, which had been campaigning for the opening of the crossing, to cancelled a planned reception for the convoy when it crossed from Libya on Thursday.
Egyptian authorities on Sunday said they would allow Galloway and members of the convoy to enter Gaza through Rafah, but that entry of the convoy itself would have to be coordinated with Israel. As members of the convoy refused to follow orders, they returned back to al-Arish where a row erupted with security police that led to the injury of two activists.
The convoy includes 12 ambulances, a fire engine, and more than 1.4 million dollars-worth of aid.
--------------------
ah crap, I hope it isn't scuppered at the last hurdle.
ALL CALM NOW AT AL ARISH
Press TV have reported that this evening the convoy came under attack by a group of men claiming to be from a faction of Fatah. Stones were thrown and a number of vehicles were scrawled with anti-Hamas slogans. A few of the convoy members were slightly injured but, we would like to stress, none seriously. We have no way of knowing whether the claims of these attackers were true or not. However, George expressed his disappointment and concern at the turn of events - and pointed out that he had spent 35 years with the Palestinian resistance alongside Fatah and the late Yasser Arafat.
At 18.00 (GMT) I spoke with the convoy leaders who report that the area is now quiet and everyone is safe. They are disappointed that the Egyptian police did not protect the convoy as they should have done. But they do not expect a repeat of the earlier events.
Planning is underway for the crossing into Gaza, which they expect to take place tomorrow. The Gazan welcoming committee have re-scheduled their planned welcome for Monday.
We will keep you posted.
------------------
That makes more sense than the previous report. Still, what a crap thing to happen.
Press TV have reported that this evening the convoy came under attack by a group of men claiming to be from a faction of Fatah. Stones were thrown and a number of vehicles were scrawled with anti-Hamas slogans. A few of the convoy members were slightly injured but, we would like to stress, none seriously. We have no way of knowing whether the claims of these attackers were true or not. However, George expressed his disappointment and concern at the turn of events - and pointed out that he had spent 35 years with the Palestinian resistance alongside Fatah and the late Yasser Arafat.
At 18.00 (GMT) I spoke with the convoy leaders who report that the area is now quiet and everyone is safe. They are disappointed that the Egyptian police did not protect the convoy as they should have done. But they do not expect a repeat of the earlier events.
Planning is underway for the crossing into Gaza, which they expect to take place tomorrow. The Gazan welcoming committee have re-scheduled their planned welcome for Monday.
We will keep you posted.
------------------
That makes more sense than the previous report. Still, what a crap thing to happen.
[align=center]MP's aid convoy attacked in Egypt
ABC Australia...[/align]
A British aid convoy carrying medical supplies intended for Gaza has been vandalised in Egypt. Several people in the convoy, which is being led by British MP George Galloway, were injured when vandals pelted it with stones. The attackers also wrote anti-Hamas slogans on some of the cars.
The convoy is carrying about $2 million worth of aid, and it is expected to reach Gaza tonight, after travelling thousands of kilometres through Europe and North Africa.
- AFP
----------------
No mention on any British news sites yet...
ABC Australia...[/align]
A British aid convoy carrying medical supplies intended for Gaza has been vandalised in Egypt. Several people in the convoy, which is being led by British MP George Galloway, were injured when vandals pelted it with stones. The attackers also wrote anti-Hamas slogans on some of the cars.
The convoy is carrying about $2 million worth of aid, and it is expected to reach Gaza tonight, after travelling thousands of kilometres through Europe and North Africa.
- AFP
----------------
No mention on any British news sites yet...
[align=center]Yvonne Ridley reports from Viva Palestina
9th March 2009[/align]
GAZA OR BUST
The last 24 hours have probably been the blackest since the Viva Palestina convoy set off from London. Yesterday the convoy members became the target of an orchestrated wave of violence first started by Egyptian police and then culminating in vicious attacks by unknown thugs. The end result was a number of peace activists whose only aim is to take humanitarian aid into war torn Gaza were treated in hospital for head injuries. Mercifully the string of casualties was not too serious but the experience denied us the chance of fulfilling our mission to deliver aid to Gaza yesterday.
And dramatic images of the rioting and attacks could not be relayed to Press TV viewers because someone sabotaged the satellite van by deliberately cutting through a vital cable which would have beamed the shameful attacks across the world. However, every cloud has a silver lining and I would like to take this opportunity of personally thanking the Egyptian authorities and those dark forces who tried to derail Viva Palestina.
The event has only served to make us stronger, unite and bond us together more and created a wave of international media interest in Viva Palestina.
I think it would be fair to say that when you bring a diverse group of 300 plus people together on a gruelling mission to cover 5,000 miles driving across North Africa the result can result in a less than harmonious state of affairs. To be frank, there was friction and infighting and some of us generally got on each other's nerves as you would when you are confined to close quarters with challenging living, sleeping and eating conditions.
However, the deliberate bloody-mindedness of the Egyptian authorities did something we had failed to do for ourselves ... it caused us to unite, bond and emerge stronger than ever from underneath the rows of police batons, bricks, bottles and stones. The trouble began when the police - who were only obeying their orders - tried to break up the convoy into small groups of medical and non medical aid. We were told the first would go through the Rafah crossing while the latter would go through an Israeli checkpoint. This was never going to be accepted by anyone on board the convoy. Our aim from the outset was simple: Rafah or bust.
Giving aid to the people of Gaza has nothing to do with the Israelis and I do wish they would stop trying to make themselves centre stage in an affair that does not involve Tel Aviv. As we dug in our heels about the convoy being physically divided, the authorities decided there was only one solution - batter us into submission, after all that is what police states do. And so, when the police tried to get physical, the convoy members followed their natural instincts and used passive resistance to defend themselves.
Egyptian police are obviously not used to confronting stroppy westerners in such large numbers and so they retreated while a second wave was sent in. Hundreds of riot squad officers, wearing visors, carrying shields and batons tumbled in to one of the two car parks in a large town centre compound in the port of al Arish and set about the unarmed peace activists.
They too were heroically repelled and what followed was an uneasy stand off as some convoy members received medical attention. The net result was scores of vehicles had been able to escape the compound in which they were being held behind metal police barriers. It was a minor victory and what followed was a very British response - the lads decided to have a game of football. I did try to persuade the Egyptian police to join in stressing they would have much more fun kicking a ball instead of kicking my comrades, but they seemed reluctant to let go of their batons.
As the night drew in the convoy leader George Galloway who was 40 kilometres down the road, was made aware of the battle of al Arish and so he refused to cross the Rafah Border in to Gaza and returned to the convoy. It was a hard call to make as the international media had gathered at Rafah for a party that never happened. As usual the Israelis also played to stereotype by shelling and bombing parts of Gaza. By the time Britain's best known parliamentarian reached the compound night had fallen and bright stadium-style lights illuminated the two car parks.
Suddenly the area was plunged into darkness by a powercut which coincided with a brick, bottle and stone attacks on the convoy members by youths in their late teens and 20s. Seconds before the lights went out some convoy members saw a couple of unidentified men scrawling anti-Hamas slogans on lorries.
The lights remained out for some minutes, during which time the vicious attack was unleashed - the whole proceedings failed to warrant one single Egyptian police officer to swing his baton into action. Those who had wielded their sticks with such a passion before, stood impassively by and watched the onslaught.
The power kicked back in again and the bright lights illuminated the scene to reveal several convoy members lying dazed and confused, blood dripping from gaping head wounds. While they were ferried to hospital for treatment, there was a second powercut and a repeat of the violence. Once again the police stood by and watched the thugs launch their attacks on unarmed and defenceless members of Viva Palestina.
Galloway, incandescent with rage held an urgent meeting with the governor of the region and secured assurances this would not happen again. He also secured a pledge that the convoy would be allowed to make its way to the Rafah crossing for 6am on Monday.
We're now only a few hours away from that deadline and it remains to be seen if the governor will keep his word. But regardless of what he decides I want to thank him for pulling every single member of Viva Palestina into one, united front. Thanks to him and the cack-handed police operation, Viva Palestina has emerged refocussed and stronger than ever with one, determined goal: Rafah or bust.
And it will happen, inspite of the best efforts of Tel Aviv meddling and Egyptian authorities' bullying. The people united can never be defeated. Gaza, next stop.
* British journalist Yvonne Ridley and award-winning film-maker Hassan al Banna Ghani are on the Viva Palestina convoy making a documentary about the journey from London to Gaza. her website is www.yvonneridley.org and you can follow her updates by Twitter or Facebook
-------------------
This whole thing sounds like it was a trap. I wouldn't put it past some cunt in the Egyptian government to have organised the whole thing in order to get some revenge on Galloway for his comments.
9th March 2009[/align]
GAZA OR BUST
The last 24 hours have probably been the blackest since the Viva Palestina convoy set off from London. Yesterday the convoy members became the target of an orchestrated wave of violence first started by Egyptian police and then culminating in vicious attacks by unknown thugs. The end result was a number of peace activists whose only aim is to take humanitarian aid into war torn Gaza were treated in hospital for head injuries. Mercifully the string of casualties was not too serious but the experience denied us the chance of fulfilling our mission to deliver aid to Gaza yesterday.
And dramatic images of the rioting and attacks could not be relayed to Press TV viewers because someone sabotaged the satellite van by deliberately cutting through a vital cable which would have beamed the shameful attacks across the world. However, every cloud has a silver lining and I would like to take this opportunity of personally thanking the Egyptian authorities and those dark forces who tried to derail Viva Palestina.
The event has only served to make us stronger, unite and bond us together more and created a wave of international media interest in Viva Palestina.
I think it would be fair to say that when you bring a diverse group of 300 plus people together on a gruelling mission to cover 5,000 miles driving across North Africa the result can result in a less than harmonious state of affairs. To be frank, there was friction and infighting and some of us generally got on each other's nerves as you would when you are confined to close quarters with challenging living, sleeping and eating conditions.
However, the deliberate bloody-mindedness of the Egyptian authorities did something we had failed to do for ourselves ... it caused us to unite, bond and emerge stronger than ever from underneath the rows of police batons, bricks, bottles and stones. The trouble began when the police - who were only obeying their orders - tried to break up the convoy into small groups of medical and non medical aid. We were told the first would go through the Rafah crossing while the latter would go through an Israeli checkpoint. This was never going to be accepted by anyone on board the convoy. Our aim from the outset was simple: Rafah or bust.
Giving aid to the people of Gaza has nothing to do with the Israelis and I do wish they would stop trying to make themselves centre stage in an affair that does not involve Tel Aviv. As we dug in our heels about the convoy being physically divided, the authorities decided there was only one solution - batter us into submission, after all that is what police states do. And so, when the police tried to get physical, the convoy members followed their natural instincts and used passive resistance to defend themselves.
Egyptian police are obviously not used to confronting stroppy westerners in such large numbers and so they retreated while a second wave was sent in. Hundreds of riot squad officers, wearing visors, carrying shields and batons tumbled in to one of the two car parks in a large town centre compound in the port of al Arish and set about the unarmed peace activists.
They too were heroically repelled and what followed was an uneasy stand off as some convoy members received medical attention. The net result was scores of vehicles had been able to escape the compound in which they were being held behind metal police barriers. It was a minor victory and what followed was a very British response - the lads decided to have a game of football. I did try to persuade the Egyptian police to join in stressing they would have much more fun kicking a ball instead of kicking my comrades, but they seemed reluctant to let go of their batons.
As the night drew in the convoy leader George Galloway who was 40 kilometres down the road, was made aware of the battle of al Arish and so he refused to cross the Rafah Border in to Gaza and returned to the convoy. It was a hard call to make as the international media had gathered at Rafah for a party that never happened. As usual the Israelis also played to stereotype by shelling and bombing parts of Gaza. By the time Britain's best known parliamentarian reached the compound night had fallen and bright stadium-style lights illuminated the two car parks.
Suddenly the area was plunged into darkness by a powercut which coincided with a brick, bottle and stone attacks on the convoy members by youths in their late teens and 20s. Seconds before the lights went out some convoy members saw a couple of unidentified men scrawling anti-Hamas slogans on lorries.
The lights remained out for some minutes, during which time the vicious attack was unleashed - the whole proceedings failed to warrant one single Egyptian police officer to swing his baton into action. Those who had wielded their sticks with such a passion before, stood impassively by and watched the onslaught.
The power kicked back in again and the bright lights illuminated the scene to reveal several convoy members lying dazed and confused, blood dripping from gaping head wounds. While they were ferried to hospital for treatment, there was a second powercut and a repeat of the violence. Once again the police stood by and watched the thugs launch their attacks on unarmed and defenceless members of Viva Palestina.
Galloway, incandescent with rage held an urgent meeting with the governor of the region and secured assurances this would not happen again. He also secured a pledge that the convoy would be allowed to make its way to the Rafah crossing for 6am on Monday.
We're now only a few hours away from that deadline and it remains to be seen if the governor will keep his word. But regardless of what he decides I want to thank him for pulling every single member of Viva Palestina into one, united front. Thanks to him and the cack-handed police operation, Viva Palestina has emerged refocussed and stronger than ever with one, determined goal: Rafah or bust.
And it will happen, inspite of the best efforts of Tel Aviv meddling and Egyptian authorities' bullying. The people united can never be defeated. Gaza, next stop.
* British journalist Yvonne Ridley and award-winning film-maker Hassan al Banna Ghani are on the Viva Palestina convoy making a documentary about the journey from London to Gaza. her website is www.yvonneridley.org and you can follow her updates by Twitter or Facebook
-------------------
This whole thing sounds like it was a trap. I wouldn't put it past some cunt in the Egyptian government to have organised the whole thing in order to get some revenge on Galloway for his comments.
I see that The Times, in all of its journalistic glory and belief in truth and integrity, has posted a report about the attack under the headline 'Galloway Stoned In Egypt'
Read it here:
https://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/u ... 872129.ece
The story starts with a lie and then ends with allegations about the men arrested at the start, but doesn't mention they were then released without charge and had their journeys paid for by the embarassed police. It really is toytown reporting.
Read it here:
https://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/u ... 872129.ece
The story starts with a lie and then ends with allegations about the men arrested at the start, but doesn't mention they were then released without charge and had their journeys paid for by the embarassed police. It really is toytown reporting.
Hi folks, I just uploaded Galloway's first speech from inside the Gaza strip:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9yUHDrMLKGA
Enjoy!
[Edit: I re-encoded a better quality version...]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9yUHDrMLKGA
Enjoy!
[Edit: I re-encoded a better quality version...]
Last edited by prpower on Tue Mar 10, 2009 3:28 am, edited 2 times in total.
GROWN MEN CRYING...THE SIEGE IS BROKEN...
ON THE DAY THE PROPHET WAS BORN
And they entered side by side like heroes, some on foot some in their vehicles, tears, smiles, hugs, flowers. It was historic, it was legendary. Gaza we are here. We have fulfilled the promise - Viva Palestina! The lifeline from the people of Britain to you, the people of Gaza, has arrived.
We have broken the barriers, we have opened closed borders, we have defied the odds,we have overcome the challenges across thousands of miles and three continents. We are here to be with you, to embrace you, to share your tragedy with you.
After another morning of intense negotiations, a deal was reached to allow all of the members of the convoy to go through. In the end, Viva Palestina had to make the sacrifice of agreeing that some vehicles will have to cross the border from the Al Ouja Israeli controlled crossing point. This includes our mascot, the fire engine and the boat. This was due to the restrictions imposed by Egyptian law governing the Rafah Crossing.
A tearful Talat Ali told me that 'Rafah is the most beautiful crossing in the world', he also said that the time , effort and sacrifices put in by all the Viva Palestina family meant that history has been made today - on the day the prophet Mohammed (PBUH) was born.
George Galloway made an emotional speech thanking the people of Gaza for the wonderful reception and assuring them that for Viva Palestina and in our millions, “WE ARE ALL PALESTINIANS!” George also reiterated that the people of Palestine have voted and that their voice should be respected.
Today the convoy will head along the Salah Eddine road towards Gaza City witnessing along the way the destruction and death caused by the Israeli war machine. Along the way they will be greeted by the people of Gaza who will know that Viva Palestina is here and that they will NEVER BE ALONE.
-------------
this is great news. Here's hoping it's just the start of many regular attempts to show the despicable nature of Israel and its supporters.
ON THE DAY THE PROPHET WAS BORN
And they entered side by side like heroes, some on foot some in their vehicles, tears, smiles, hugs, flowers. It was historic, it was legendary. Gaza we are here. We have fulfilled the promise - Viva Palestina! The lifeline from the people of Britain to you, the people of Gaza, has arrived.
We have broken the barriers, we have opened closed borders, we have defied the odds,we have overcome the challenges across thousands of miles and three continents. We are here to be with you, to embrace you, to share your tragedy with you.
After another morning of intense negotiations, a deal was reached to allow all of the members of the convoy to go through. In the end, Viva Palestina had to make the sacrifice of agreeing that some vehicles will have to cross the border from the Al Ouja Israeli controlled crossing point. This includes our mascot, the fire engine and the boat. This was due to the restrictions imposed by Egyptian law governing the Rafah Crossing.
A tearful Talat Ali told me that 'Rafah is the most beautiful crossing in the world', he also said that the time , effort and sacrifices put in by all the Viva Palestina family meant that history has been made today - on the day the prophet Mohammed (PBUH) was born.
George Galloway made an emotional speech thanking the people of Gaza for the wonderful reception and assuring them that for Viva Palestina and in our millions, “WE ARE ALL PALESTINIANS!” George also reiterated that the people of Palestine have voted and that their voice should be respected.
Today the convoy will head along the Salah Eddine road towards Gaza City witnessing along the way the destruction and death caused by the Israeli war machine. Along the way they will be greeted by the people of Gaza who will know that Viva Palestina is here and that they will NEVER BE ALONE.
-------------
this is great news. Here's hoping it's just the start of many regular attempts to show the despicable nature of Israel and its supporters.
In reading articles today I see that the convoy has given everything directly to Hamas. I'm sure there's a point being made here about supporting the government, but I think that this is a bad mistake. Maybe I missed something in the first place and should have known that this was how things were going, but I didn't...
I gave money to help the people, not the government.
I gave money to help the people, not the government.