Communique from GFM steering committee to all marchers

30.12.2009

For our visitors we are publishing communique from Gaza Freedom March Steering Committee, addressed to all marchers explaining their decision not to go ahead with the Egyptian proposal to limit the delegation to Gaza to only 100 people.

Dear Gaza Freedom Marchers,

The GFM steering committee spent most of the night discussing the decision to accept the Egyptian proposal for a 100-person delegation to Gaza. Some of us felt that the restrictions demanded by the Egyptians were unfair and that due process (including full consultation with
partners) was not followed. We all share a similar goal, we want to break the siege of Gaza. Allowing in a delegation of one hundred people into Gaza, while excluding everyone else for no apparent reason, seemed to many a strategy to divide us. Further deliberation has led us to believe that we made a mistake; we should not have been content with so little or contribute to whitewashing the misdeeds of the Egyptian government. Already most mainstream newspapers ran articles about GFM. Our message, even from Cairo, is reaching new audiences. We are determined to continue pressuring the authorities so that we all enter Gaza as we set out to do.


We apologize for the confusion and distress this may have caused. We are no longer sending a token delegation to Gaza. Let`s renew the momentum we have created and show Egypt, Israel and our own governments that we will not be silent.

La lutte continue!
GFM Steering Committee

Date: Wed, 30 Dec 2009 09:45:43 +0200