God Bless America because it needs it

Hello all,

As you all may have heard in the media, the Egyptian government has blocked Gaza Freedom Marchers from traveling to Gaza and bringing in the humanitarian aid we brought with us.  This has led to widespread protest events around the city of Cairo.  It has been very sobering for us to realize that this is indeed a dictatorship, a police state, and there simply is no freedom.  We take for granted our right to assemble, our right to freedom of expression, our right to question our government's authority and behavior.

As we have attempted peaceful, may I remind you, PEACEFUL, protest events, we have been penned in by police and other security forces with great blustering, show and intimidation.  Riot police have been called out and assembled in formation.  There has been no rioting and no violence on the part of Gaza Freedom Marchers.  I am a witness.

And now my fellow Americans, I want to share with you the experience that I witnessed and experienced first hand in the area of our United States Embassy.  Some of my team members had traveled on ahead to the Embassy to seek admittance and to speak with the ambassador or other U.S. staff members.  They were severely harrassed by Egyptian police who were assembled -- on United States soil.  (Correct me if I'm wrong, but my understanding is that U.S. Embassy grounds are American soil.  My team members were not allowed to enter the Embassy, not even after showing their U.S. passports.  They were promptly shoved and pushed into an enclosure.  As more peaceful protesters arrived, and I assure you they came peacefully, they were too forced into the enclosure and not allowed to leave.

By the time I and my team mate Dorothy arrived, Egyptian secret police officers forced us to cross the street from the Embassy.  They were herding us like cattle and would not allow us to enter embassy property to check on our friends.  Dorothy and I were there to document the event as it unfolded.

At one point I stopped to take a photograph of a site along the Nile, opposite the embassy, and the top Egyptian police officer, a very, very intimidating man in a suit and sunglasses began yelling at me "No Stop Here"  "Move"  He was invading my personal space by standing just close enough to not quite touch.  It was him and 10 to 15 other officers.  I told him I wanted to take a photograph of the Nile.  Dorothy was speaking that we had a right to be there and that we were peaceful.  He continued yelling. I was getting angry; yet incredibly afraid.  More afraid than I have ever been in my life.

I momentarily held my ground and looked up at his sunglassed eyes and said firmly, "I want to take a photograph. Wait a moment."  He yelled, "Okay, okay, hurry."

I took the photo and we tried to stay there directly across the street from the embassy so we could have a clear view of our friends and others.

They forced us, herded us down the street. We would walk a little ways and then stop.  They would close in and yell and spit at us to move.

Eventually, two of our other team mates, Liz and Yusif, showed up for moral support.  The police terrible harrassed our gentle friend, Yusif.  He held out his U.S. passport and the big mean guy grabbed him and pushed him repeatedly down the street. 

I recorded the whole event.  We were shocked that he would have the audacity to use physical force on a U.S. citizen. Yusif is 74 years old.  You saw his photo in the last blog post.  He is a gentle spirit and was being physically manhandled across the street from the U.S. Embassy where we as citizens were barred from entry.

In the meantime,  our friends and protesters who were actually on American soil, were also physically manhandled and hurt by Egyptian police.  The  police even brought out the K-9 dogs.  One was named Sniper.

Embassy staff would not grant audience or even come out to check on the citizens being harrassed.

I am appalled and extremely angry that the American Embassy hired and allowed foreign police officers to detain and abuse American citizens on U.S. soil.  I do not need to remind you that the 20 or so people who were gathered there on embassy property were completely peaceful and unarmed.  This behavior on the part of my country is completely disgusting and reprehensible.  There is no excuse.  Simply no excuse.

French citizens, on the other hand, went peacefully to their embassy to "camp" out on embassy grounds in support of Gaza. Embassy staff allowed them bathroom access, brought them food, water and coffee, and even slept there outside on the pavement with them (including the ambassador!)  It has been 3 days and our French marchers are still camped peacefully and safely on French embassy grounds.  Viva la France!

In the meantime, several women from the women's affinity group met with Suzanne Mubarak (the president's wife) and she gave permission, in direct disobedience to government orders, for 100 people to be transported and to enter Gaza.  Our Michigan Peace Team member, Yusif, is one of those 100!!!  Keep him in your thoughts and prayers!

There is much, much more to tell, but time is of the essence.  Please check out photos below.  And I will write more soon.

This is the scene I paused to take a photo of directly across from the U.S. Embassy with Mr. Scary Angry Man screaming in my ear.

Yusif being interviewed by a Cairo reporter after having been pushed and manhandled by Egyptian police. The man in brown on the right is undercover security who recorded the entire interview on his cell phone.

Riot police.

Dear sweet Yusif waiting to board the Gaza bus.

The bag of a marcher waiting to board the Gaza bus.

Some Cairo schoolboys showing their support at the Gaza bus send off.