DAY 22: 1st ANNIVERSARY

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22 days – 11 Countries – 3,404 Miles

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Day 22 – Sunday Dec 27 ’09

@11.25am Operation Cast Lead began one year ago.

Convoy members will start a HUNGER STRIKE at 11.25am today.

NEWS! Press TV report & Live interview from Aqaba

Sit down for this one… as the kids say, O is for… – BBC News has FINALLY used those absent 6-letters, C-O-N-V-O-Y:

… An international humanitarian aid convoy of some 200 vehicles is hoping to mark the anniversary by delivering supplies to Gaza…. The convoy is currently in Jordan, awaiting permission to cross the Red Sea and proceed to Egypt. – Ban Ki-Moon: Gaza reconstruction not being addressed

8pm:

Viva Palestina Volunteers tried to get into small boat to collect viva pal flags and bombs were dropped nearby #Gaza waiting for more info – @viva_palestina

BLOG! Joti2Gaza: Convoy members on hunger strike for Gaza

ACTION! in Malaysia… & in Belgium…

BLOG!+VIDEO The Sitch: A Convoy Christmas

5pm:

1,400 candles will be lit in Aqaba tonight in memory of all of the Palestinians murdered by Israel one year ago. – @Fio_edwards

VIDEO! CAST LEAD, THE GIFT THAT KEEPS ON GIVING:

AJE: WAR BABIES, Israeli ammunition ’causes birth defects’

NEWS!

Egypt’s MFA Press releases… on Dec 24 they were ‘astonished‘ and by Dec 26 they were playing the victim-card, calling it all ‘hype‘… KEEP CALLING THEM!

Abu Dhabi’s The National: Campaigns to break the siege on Gaza

Press TV: Egypt using ‘bureaucracy’ against besieged Gazans

Ma’an: 38 GFMr’s arrested in Egypt & Barred from Egypt, Galloway group on hunger strike & ANOTHER convoy heading through Erez

Monsters & Critics: Jordanian politicians criticize Egypt on Gaza anniversary

Al Jazeera: Galloway in fresh Gaza convoy plea

Palestine Think Tank: Hunger strike of activists in Egypt for Gaza & Dec 22: EgyptUnder Pressure to Stop Life-Line Convoy to Gaza !

CounterCurrents: One Year After Israeli Assault, Gaza Is Still On The Brink

DID YOU KNOW? Nuweiba to Rafah is a ‘Shortcut‘ – well, at least in the (flat)world of Arutz Sheva…

Xinhua: Gaza-bound humanitarian convoy stages sit-in in Jordan & Gaza-bound convoy stranded in Jordan after Egypt rejects Red Sea Port entry

Khaleej Times: Gaza aid stuck in Jordan amid Turkish mediation

Gulf News: Convoy stuck at border on anniversary of Gaza war + PICTURES!

MediaPart.fr: Un convoi pour Gaza

AJE: The Children of Gaza share their experiences of “Cast Lead”

3pm:

#Gaza convoy now completely trapped. We can move freely but can’t take ambulance. Will send new photos soon. – @YorktoGaza

1-month-old Al-Mutasim Al-Samouni was the youngest victim during Israel’s 22 day-long killing spree in #Gaza – @avinunu

A year ago today, Israel dropped its first bombs on Gaza. We held a three minute silence and then a demo in the streets – @Pal_S_Campaign

Emailing the media is starting to work, RTE has small piece on the convoy… Keep up the good work! – @Cork2Gaza

2pm:

We r fasting in solidarity w the people of Gaza. The story 2day shd be about Israeli warcrimes, not Egyptian blocking of aid. – @Joti2Gaza

AJE: Police recruits retell their experiences of “Cast Lead”

12pm:

“A time comes when silence is betrayal.” – MLK

Just had 3 min silence 4 victims of war crimes 1 year ago. Now march in Aqaba town. – @YorktoGaza

JOR cops have brought walk to halt. not allowing us to go to EGY consulate. Mbers stand side of road at roundbout up the st from EGY consul8. Barred from going there; follow cop orders as we don’t want confrontation – @juanajaafar

11am:

As of 1120 this am, joti2gaza on hunger strike until #convoy given permission to enter Gaza via Rafah. Pls spread the word. – @Joti2Gaza

ATTENTION YORK! Don’t forget Vigil at St Sampson’s Square 2-3 pm today – @YorktoGaza

We planning to walk to consulate now, everyone preparing placards. We got one that says BUKA SEMPADAN GAZA SEGERA. Members doing roll call for fallen paramedics from Gaza bombings last year. Walking to EGY consulate. Women leading rally. – @juanajaafar

Just did TV interview with AlQuds news, PLE network based in LEB. asked re feeling today. Said sad and frustrated that instead of Israel Attention is on EGY. – @juanajaafar

10am:

NEWS! New Straits Times: If only life in Gaza was a movie

Morn brief, Kevin says EGY yet to come back to us re sailing over but hope to get some news by this afternoon. Some are going on hunger Strike starting at 1125am to commemorate the time and date Israel started bombing Gaza a year a go. Members also rallying at 7pm today. Viva nego-ing with local autho to allow vehicles carrying meds to be allowed to bring vehicles out of customs parking lot and into to town to cool, open doors, etc so meds don’t spoil. This morn some members climbed Aqaba high hill and put PLE flag there; can be Seen [high enough] across Red Sea by PLE with lens. Brit senior said professor friend in Hawaii report planned rally in Hawaii to commemrte Gaza siege. Obama there on Xmas holiday. Orgs urging members to go all out to send messages online via FB, Tweet, emails etc to inform their friends, media, MPs re what’s happening… Tonight’s rally will end at EGY consulate here in Aqaba. – @juanajaafar

Dec 26: Al Jazeera report and interview with GG

NEWS! Jordan Times front page: Gaza convoy remains in Aqaba…

Dec 27: Jordan Times – click for PDF

NEWS! World Bulletin: Egypt blocks Turkish MPs in Viva Palestina convoy from entry & Malaysia’s Star: The heart goes out to Gaza & New Straits Times: Ferry woes a setback for convoy

BLOGS! 2 NEW BLOGS… BGLink member Bob Goes to Gaza… & PGPOrg Team Leader’s… + MEMO update: Christmas en-route to Gaza #2… & Boxing Day…

RADIO! @YorktoGaza‘s interview on BBC Radio York ↓

RADIO! Interview with Alice from Viva Palestina & Bob Lewis on BBC Radio Gloucestershire ↓

Joti2Gaza: Urgent: take action for Gaza:

To all friends of the convoy and of Palestine

Well folks, as you awake today from your Christmas hangover, over 500 people from 20 countries, in 250 vehicles loaded with humanitarian aid, are left stranded in Aqaba, Jordan, having been refused permission to enter Egypt.

The Egyptians have placed three conditions on the convoy if it wants to enter Egypt.

1. We hand all our vehicles and aid over to UNWRA.
2. We drive 500 miles back to Syria, and take a 24-hour ferry through the Suez Canal. (Actually, we would have to hire five boats, since the port of Al Ariesh couldn’t handle a boat big enough for the convoy.)
3. We have to ask Israel for permission to cross from Egypt to Gaza.
   Read more…

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