The Gaza Freedom March concluded on January 1. Fr. Louie Vitale was then notified that his 107-year-old aunt — a survivor of the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake — had died. While he had planned to stay in the region until January 10, Louie managed to get a flight back to San Francisco in time to celebrate her funeral mass.
Click here to see a profile on Louie and his peace mission in Palestine and Egypt by Sharon Abercrombie that has been published by the National Catholic Reporter on January 11, 2010.
Account: Aljazeera.net: Protests Against Gaza Siege
Here is an update from Fr. John Dear on the Cairo nonviolent action:
Hi from Cairo. Happy New Year.
…Louie did not get arrested; the tough demo turned out fine—though several were beaten and pushed (I was pushed and left), Louie sat through it all and loved it, as usual! So he’s fine. We’re still fasting…. We’re fine… It’s been a hard week though.
Blessings of peace, John
Pace e Bene has just received a report that the Gaza Freedom March has been attacked by Egyptian security forces in Cairo.
We also received an email from Fr. John Dear saying that Pace e Bene staff person Fr. Louie Vitale is being arrested:
I’m in Cairo; David [Hartsough] is in Gaza. Louie [Vitale] is in the street being arrested. Very tough situation here, New Year’s Eve. Pray for Us. Peace, John
On January 1, 2010, John wrote to say that Fr. Louie , in the end, was not arrested.
For details, please click on the following:
Pace e Bene urges you to contact Egyptian and US officials to call on them to end the attack on the marchers, release those who have been detained, and permit them to enter Gaza:
Please share this update with your networks, organizations and contacts. Please keep all parties in this unfolding situation in your thoughts and prayers.
Background:
On December 30, eighty-six Gaza Freedom Marchers were permitted to enter Gaza as part of a symbolic border crossing. The remaining 1200 marchers made plans to march to the border today (December31). Reports indicate that Egyptian security forces prevented many marchers from leaving their hotels; the 500 or so who were able to leave have been attacked by police.
Gaza Freedom March Press Release, December 31:
Excerpt: Members of the Gaza Freedom March are being forcibly detained in hotels around town (Lotus, Liala) as well as violently forced into pens in Tahir Square by Egyptian police and additional security forces. Reports of police brutality are flooding a delegate legal hotline faster than the legal support team can answer the calls. The reports span from women being kicked, beaten to the ground and dragged into pens, at least one confirmed account of broken ribs, and many left bloody. The assault is ongoing, legal team and other spokespeople can be reached at the Nile Hotel or by contacting the phone numbers listed above.
The Gaza Freedom March was organized to focus attention on the one-year mark since Israel’s 22-day assault, which killed more than 1,400 Palestinians, injured more than 5,000. Although the invasion technically ended, the effects on the ground have only worsened in the past 12 months. No re-building materials have been allowed in and more than 80 percent of Gazans are now dependent on handouts for food.
The marchers had planned to enter Gaza through Egypt’s Rafah Crossing on Dec. 27, then to join with an estimated 50,000 Palestinian residents to march to Erez Crossing into Israel to peacefully demand an end to the siege. However, the government of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak announced just days before the hundreds of delegates began arriving in Cairo that the march would not be allowed to go forward. It cited ongoing tensions at the border. When marchers demonstrated against the decision, the government cracked down, often using heavily armed riot police to encircle and intimidate the nonviolent marchers.
Click here for all previous Pace e Bene reports on the march.
| Update Title | Date | |
|---|---|---|
| Letter from Friar Louie: Life Goes On | Aug 26, 2010 | |
| Workshop Participants Stage Nonviolent Action Focused on Oli Spill | Jun 4, 2010 | |
| Vanessa Gomez Brake contributes to Illume Magazine | May 26, 2010 | |
| Story on Fr. Louie Published on San Francisco Chronicle Blog | Apr 14, 2010 | |
| Friar Louie Vitale Arrives at Southern California Prison | Mar 28, 2010 |
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The said blockade only hindrances the progress of Gaza
The said blockade only hindrances the progress of Gaza. The people do the marches in order to let everyone knows their protest regarding this matter. I guess, change is very much needed to attain economic progress. I know how much every person is eager to attain progress, but you can’t make a huge income right away and without effort. However, there are programs that you can start small, and build until you have a sustainable income. For instance, join affiliate networks – where you essentially create websites and referrals marketing products and services and for each referral and sale, you get a commission or referral fee, either by Cost Per Action or CPA, which pays best, or Cost Per Click. It takes a while to build a following and a big income, but time and a few cash advance loans can pay off big after awhile. I hope the government of Gaza can now hear what constituents want.
The said blockade only hindrances the progress of Gaza
The said blockade only hindrances the progress of Gaza. The people do the marches in order to let everyone knows their protest regarding this matter. I guess, change is very much needed to attain economic progress. I know how much every person is eager to attain progress, but you can’t make a huge income right away and without effort. However, there are programs that you can start small, and build until you have a sustainable income. For instance, join affiliate networks – where you essentially create websites and referrals marketing products and services and for each referral and sale, you get a commission or referral fee, either by Cost Per Action or CPA, which pays best, or Cost Per Click. It takes a while to build a following and a big income, but time and a few cash advance loans can pay off big after awhile. I hope the government of Gaza can now hear what constituents want.