Solidarity with Madison!

Revolts in Tunisia to Egypt to Libya to... Madison??? That's right. The people of Madison, Wisconsin have been protesting the recent legislation by Gov. Walker that would drastically cut employees' union bargaining rights as well as massive cuts to health care and income. Let's show our support for the people of Madison, and all peoples who fight against oppression, violence, and exploitation. Join us for a sign making party Thursday night at 8pm in the Gender and Women's Studies Building (925 N. Tyndall Ave). Questions? Call 520.302.4476 or email TucsonISO@gmail.com

Update from Rochester activists on the Viva Palestina US Convoy

One of our fellow comrades in the Rochester Branch of the ISO sent out an update after entering Gaza. After days of being held up by the Egyptian authorities for nothing more than fear of publicity the convoy was able to get in with a sizable portion of the medical supplies. Below is copied Brian Lenzo's email.

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hey everyone,

Ream and I are in Gaza with all of our delegation and all the medical supplies. Our trucks are still in Alexandria, so we came with about half the aid, but we will deal with that later.

We have 24 hours to see what we can and get out by 9:30pm our time tomorrow night. The Egyptian authorities delayed us till 9pm, even though we had everything in order for hours before that. The people of Gaza had been waiting, by the thousands on the streets for our arrival, and by 10pm tonight, many had indeed given up hope for us getting in and went home.

Its disgusting that the Egyptian government would delay desperately needed medical supplies to Gaza in order to ruin a photo op that might make the Palestinian cause look good and catch media attention.

my anger about this has been replaced with tremendous joy to watch families embrace for the first time in years, mothers hugging their sons, brothers and sisters, husbands and wives, grand parents and grand children. Many broke into tears, including me.

So much to tell, but we need to be up early. But spread the news far and wide, WE HAVE BROKEN THE SEIGE AND WE WILL DELIVER OUR AID TOMORROW, AS PLANNED!!!!

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Our thoughts are with you and the families in Gaza, comrades! Great work!

Call for Protest: Go to your local Egyptian Embassy or Consulate

Take to the streets TODAY Tuesday July 14th demanding that the humanitarian aid convoy Viva Palestina US be let through to Gaza.

The members of the Viva Palestina US humanitarian aid convoy are asking their supporters to protest at local Egyptian Embassies or Consulates. We must demand that the convoy be let through; they have pulled together so much in supplies and humanitarian aid and it must get through to the people of Gaza. There is no reason that a peaceful convoy should be denied access to Gaza.

Their official statement is copied here below:

Viva Palestina U.S. is calling on our friends and supporters to gather outside Egyptian consulates across the U.S. on Tuesday, July 14, as we make our way toward the Suez Canal and into the Sinai Peninsula to deliver humanitarian aid and medical supplies to the people of Gaza. We have met all the new bureaucratic requirements imposed by the Egyptian authorities, and we therefore have the right to expect a speedy passage to Gaza. However, we must prepare for unwarranted further attempts to frustrate us perhaps with a view to stopping such convoys in the future. Those individuals and groups gathering outside Egyptian consulates tomorrow will either be able to help us break through those blockages or be able to celebrate our overcoming them. We want to be on the border of Gaza on Tuesday night and in Gaza on Wednesday morning. Viva Palestina!

Let the Aid through!

Let the Covoy through!

Let the trucks through!

Viva Palestina Convoy Update #3

Here is the latest press release from the Viva Palestina convoy. It is copied below.

Viva Palestina Convoy update #3
July 12, 2009, 7 pm Cairo

The Viva Palestina members who spent the night in their buses at the Suez
Crossing after they were stopped by Egyptian authorities on July 11 are now
making their way to the nearby city of Ismailia and are preparing to resume
their travels toward Gaza imminently.

British Member of Parliament George Galloway, who has met up with former
U.S. Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney in Cairo, was working with Egyptian and
U.S. authorities to expedite the passage of the convoy over the Suez Canal
and into Gaza.

New York City Councilmember Charles Barron, who led the group at the Suez
Canal, says, “Whether these requirements are genuine or not, we will get
around these obstacles. We are going to Gaza.”

Egyptian have held up the convoy on the grounds that it has not acquired the
necessary travel permits from U.S. officials in order to cross into Gaza.

“If the Egyptian authorities want us to jump through yet another hoop, we
will, even though their ambassadors in Washington, DC, London, and Tripoli,
Libya were already supplied with this information, at their request. The
U.S. embassy in Cairo was informed about the mission as was the Egyptian
Foreign Ministry.” said Galloway. “So now we expect that there should be no
further reasons for the delayed transportation of this urgently needed
relief to the people of Gaza. We have hundreds of thousands of dollars of
medicine, which are time-sensitive and perishable and which need to reach
the children of Gaza.”

Another group of Viva Palestina delegates is in Alexandria to take
possession of 47 vehicles that will be used to drive the group’s
humanitarian and medical relief supplies through the Rafah border crossing.
A third Viva Palestina element is continuing to gather additional aid in
Cairo.

Tomorrow, Viva Palestina plans to gather all its forces in Ismailia, load
all of the collected aid on its vehicles, and make final preparations for
the drive through the Sinai.

The Viva Palestina convoy expects progress on all fronts tomorrow, but is
prepared to call for solidarity protests at Egyptian embassies and
consulates should that not materialize.

Viva Palestina Activists Stopped at Suez Crossing by Egyptian Authorities

Two ISO members joined the Viva Palestina humanitarian aid convoy that left the US on July 4th. They flew in to Cairo to buy supplies and trucks to bring to Gaza. Today there were attempting to cross the Suez Crossing and were stopped by the authorities for reportedly not providing a list of names of those who were on the buses. However, this information was provided to the Egyptian Embassys and has been sent again.

The convoy's press release is copied in below.

Viva Palestina Convoy, July 12, 2009, 2:45 am Cairo

The 100 Viva Palestina humanitarian volunteers have decided to stay the night in their buses at the Mubarak Peace Bridge over the Suez Canal despite pressure from the Egyptian security officials to return to Cairo.

The official reason given at the checkpoint for refusing to allow them to cross is that the officials there did not have a list of the names of the members of the convoy. Such a list was, however, at the request of the Egyptian authorities before any of the convoy members set foot in Egypt sent to the Egyptian ambassadors to Washington, D.C., and London.

The US Embassy in Cairo has now stepped in to forward a newly provided list of those convoy members aboard the buses at the bridge to the Egyptian foreign ministry to clear the way for the convoy's passage.

Nancy Mansour Leigh, a spokeswoman for the Viva Palestina delegation at the Suez crossing, says, “It's going to be an uncomfortable night, but it's nothing compared with what the people of Gaza must live through every day. We've already succeeded in securing internet access and are negotiating other necessary facilities. But whatever facilities are provided or not, our determination will see us through the night and all the way to Gaza.”

New York City Councilman Charles Barron is on the scene at the Suez Canal and acting as chief negotiator with Egyptian security officials. “The Viva Palestina movement has had a great success this morning with our stand at the Suez crossing. We've now got an agreement for us to stay until the list of our convoy members reaches the foreign ministry. It shows what can be achieved with the determination and commitment of a collective body of people. We are determined to cross onto Gaza, and no matter what happens next, out of this first small confrontation, we've achieved a success for the movement in support of the Palestinian people. The convoy is going to move on, and we ain't gonna let nobody turn us around.”

British Member of Parliament George Galloway offered these words of encouragement for the delegation being held up at the crossing:“This is an American convoy. And Americans are used to refusing to give up seats on buses in the struggle for justice. I regard everyone who's putting themselves on the line tonight at the Suez Canal for the success of this humanitarian mission as nothing short of a hero.”

Kevin Ovenden
Viva Palestina coordinator