Text Fwd: Emergency: Gaza Convoy Attacked by Egyptian Police - Take Action Now!

One Year After the Gaza Massacre
Tell Egypt and the U.S. to Stop the Attack on Viva Palestina!
Let the Convoy into Gaza! End the Blockade Now!

IN NYC: EMERGENCY DEMONSTRATION
Wednesday - 4:30 pm
at the Egyptian Mission to the UN
(44th St. & 2nd Ave)

Sign the Petition Now: http://www.iacenter.org/palestine/vivapalestinapetition2010

Egyptian security police have launched a brutal, unprovoked assault on the 500-member third Viva Palestina humanitarian relief convoy to Gaza. Dozens of convoy members have been injured and some are reported missing. The 500 convoy members and their 150 vehicles are now in the port of Al Arish, where they are surrounded by 2000 Egyptian riot police. Egypt's action comes only one year after Israel's U.S.-funded massacre of over 1,400 Gaza Palestinians.

Viva Palestina, organized by British MP George Galloway, is an effort to break the 42-month-old U.S.-Israeli-Egyptian blockade of Gaza, which is compounding the effect of the massacre. The 500 convoy participants come from many countries, including Britain, Turkey, Syria, Malaysia, Greece, Belgium and the United States.

While the convoy has received warm support, solidarity and assistance in very other country through which it has passed, the Egyptian authorities have met it with hostility and brutality, as they also did the 1400-member Gaza Freedom March. Egypt is the second-largest recipient of U.S. military aid after Israel and recently signed a $3.2 billion deal to buy Lockheed Martin F16 fighters from the United States. These are the same warplanes Israel used to destroy homes and schools in Gaza.

While Egypt has greeted the convoy with hostility, it recently gave a warm welcome to right wing Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The Egyptian government is also building a steel wall 80 feet deep to stop food and medicine from getting to th people� Gaza. Sign the petition now and demand that the convoy be allowed safe passage: http://www.iacenter.org/palestine/vivapalestinapetition2010

Also, please call and demand an end to the attacks on the convoy.� Contact information for Egyptian consulates can be found here.�

Below is the latest from the Viva Palestina Web Site, though much has happened since then:

Crisis in Egypt

Viva Palestina faced with 2,000 riot police in the port of Al-Arish!

To all friends of Palestine,

Our situation is now at a crisis point! Riot has broken out in the port of Al- Arish.

This late afternoon we were negotiating with a senior official from Cairo who left negotiations some two hours ago and did not return. Our negotiations with the official was regarding taking our aid vehicles into Gaza.

He left two hours ago and did not come back. Egyptian authorities called over 2,000 riot police who then moved towards our camp at the port.

We have now blocked the entrance to the port and we are now faced with riot police and water cannons and are determined to defend our vehicles and aid.

The Egyptian authorities have by their stubbornness and hostility towards the convoy, brought us to a crisis point.

We are now calling upon all friends of palestine to mount protests in person where possible, but by any means available to Egyptian representatives, consulates and Embassy's and demand that the convoy are allowed a safe passage into Gaza tomorrow!

Kevin Ovenden Viva Palestina Convoy Leader

Sign the Petition Now: http://www.iacenter.org/palestine/vivapalestinapetition2010

Petition Text:

To: Egyptian President Mohammad Hosni Mubarak, Prime Minister Dr. Ahmed Mahmoud Mohammed Nazif, the Egyptian Government, President Barack Obama, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Vice President Joe Biden, Congressional leaders, U.N. General Assembly President d'Escoto-Brockmann, U.N. Secretary General Ban, members of the U.N. Security Council, U.N. member states, and the President, Prime Minister, Cabinet and Opposition leader of Israel

cc: Major media representatives, International Red Cross

LET THE VIVA PALESTINA HUMANITARIAN AID INTO GAZA NOW!

I am writing in support of the Viva Palestina humanitarian convoy that is currently seeking to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza. This convoy is carrying humanitarian relief to a beseiged population, and it is a violation of international law to deny them passage or to detain and harass them in any way.

This convoy was organized with the support of individuals and organizations from across the U.S., and is supported by people across the world, who stand with with the people of Gaza, who have been the target of a two-year blockade and numerous military strikes by the Israeli Occupation Forces.

I demand that the convoy be allowed safe passage, so that this vital medical aid can be delivered to the people of Gaza.

I further demand that the siege of Gaza be lifted immediately.

Sincerely,

Sign the Petition Now: http://www.iacenter.org/palestine/vivapalestinapetition2010