10 January 2010 / ,
Despite clashes with Egyptian riot police, the Viva Palestina aid convoy with its volunteers and trucks reached Gaza to deliver humanitarian supplies to the besieged population.
Flowers were thrown on the windscreens of the 200-strong convoy, which left the UK on Dec. 5, as the vehicles finally entered the Palestinian territory. Before the convoy passed through the Rafah crossing there were clashes in the area, as a riot broke out along the border in protest of Egypt’s blockade of the Gaza Strip, located between Egypt and Israel. One Egyptian border guard died and at least 40 people were injured in the chaos. This came a day after several hundred international activists clashed with police in the Egyptian port city of El Arish when they were told that a portion of their aid convoy would be allowed to enter Gaza and only through Israel. Five Justice and Development Party (AK Party) deputies and more than 200 Turkish citizens are part of the aid convoy, which departed England 131 days ago. Following Thursday’s fracas, Turkish officials stepped in, after which the Egyptians allowed the convoy to pass through. On Friday Egypt declared renegade British lawmaker George Galloway persona non grata, accusing him of incitement after his harsh criticism of Cairo over delays in the aid convoy’s entry into Gaza, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said. “George Galloway is considered persona non grata and will not be allowed to enter Egypt again,” a Foreign Ministry statement said. The activist left Egypt on Friday morning from Cairo Airport. Earlier, the British press had reported that Galloway had been deported. They said he was forcefully taken by police from the Rafah crossing with Gaza to Cairo Airport, where he was put on a departing British Airways plane.
