After
three days of vigils and demonstrations in downtown Cairo, Suzanne
Mubarak’s offer to allow just 100 of 1,300 delegates to enter Gaza was
rejected by the Gaza Freedom March Coordinating Committee as well as
many of the larger contingents – including those from France, Scotland,
Canada, South Africa, Sweden and New York State (U.S.).

“We
flatly reject Egypt’s offer of a token gesture. We refuse to whitewash
the siege of Gaza. Our group will continue working to get all 1362
marchers into Gaza as one step towards the ultimate goal for the
complete end of the siege and the liberation of Palestine” said Ziyaad
Lunat a member of the march Coordinating Committee.

The Gaza Freedom March was organized to focus attention on the one-year
mark since Israel’s 22-day assault, which killed more than 1,400
Palestinians, injured more than 5,000. Although the invasion
technically ended, the effects on the ground have only worsened in the
past 12 months. No re-building materials have been allowed in and more
than 80 percent of Gazans are now dependent on handouts for food.

The
marchers had planned to enter Gaza through Egypt’s Rafah Crossing on
Dec. 27, then to join with an estimated 50,000 Palestinian residents to
march to Erez Crossing into Israel to peacefully demand an end to the
siege. However, the government of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak
announced just days before the hundreds of delegates began arriving in
Cairo that the march would not be allowed to go forward. It cited
ongoing tensions at the border. When marchers demonstrated against the
decision, the government cracked down, often using heavily armed riot
police to encircle and intimidate the nonviolent marchers. Egypt’s
decision to allow 100 people into Gaza shows that the “security”
argument is bogus.