> Institute for Public Accuracy
> 980 National Press Building, Washington, D.C. 20045
> (202) 347-0020 * http://www.accuracy.org * ipa@accuracy.org
> ___________________________________________________
>
> Monday, January 4, 2010
>
> Americans Attacked in Cairo over Gaza March;
>
> Video and Interviews Available
>
> A high-stakes standoff continues today in Cairo, where participants > in unprecedented protests are available for interviews.
>
> On New Year's Eve -- shortly after the Egyptian government had > prevented buses from taking them to Gaza -- hundreds of people, > including scores from the U.S., who were attempting to march in > Cairo were kicked, punched and dragged into a holding area by > plainclothes Egyptian government forces.
>
> See video: http://husseini.posterous.com/9292893 (filmed by Sam > Husseini).
>
> Beginning Dec. 27, 1,300 activists from over 40 countries had been > in Cairo attempting to go to Gaza, which has been under siege. > Israel has prevented free movement to or from Gaza on its border > crossings and has prevented the Gaza port and airport from > functioning.
>
> These 1,300 activists -- roughly equal to the number of Palestinians > killed in Gaza during the Israeli bombing "Cast Lead" of this time > last year (about 13 Israelis were also killed) -- have been > prevented by the Egyptian government from going to Gaza through the > Rafah crossing in the south of Gaza.
>
> Protests in Cairo have been ongoing; one took place Monday in front > of the Prosecutor's Office, roughly the equivalent of the Justice > Department. This protest included about 40 Egyptians and 40 > internationals. On New Year's Day, several hundred people protested > in front of the Israeli embassy in Cairo; protests there are > virtually unheard of -- prohibited by the Egyptian authorities. > During protests, people have almost always been penned into areas to > prevent their being seen by the general public.
>
> The following individuals still in Cairo can speak to the violence > of the Egyptian authorities as well as the Egyptian policy of > maintaining the siege of Gaza and the crisis situation in Gaza:
>
> RYAN FAY, Ryanbfay@aol.com
> Fay, a law student, has done legal work on behalf of Palestinians > on the West Bank, attempting to prevent the demolition of their > homes by Israel. See a photo of Fay shortly after being hit with a > police walkie talkie: http://aliabunimah.posterous.com/?sort=&search=ryan > .
>
> MICK NAPIER, chair@scottishpsc.org.uk, http://scottishpsc.org.uk
> Napier is chair of the Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign, > one of hundreds of organizations with delegations in Cairo. He said, > "It is clearer than ever that the Egyptian dictatorship is fully > complicit with Israel's crippling siege of Gaza."
>
> HEDY EPSTEIN, hedy@hedyepstein.com
> Epstein is a survivor of the Nazi Holocaust and author of > "Remembering Is Not Enough." See the New York Times piece "Awaiting > Gaza March, Holocaust Survivor Stages Hunger Strike." http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2009/12/28-3
>
> SAM HUSSEINI, Egyptian mobile: 011-20-161477373, samhusseini@gmail.com
> Communications director of the Institute for Public Accuracy, > Husseini has been blogging and posting videos at: http://husseini.posterous.com > .
>
> MICHAEL BROWN, mikefbrown@yahoo.com
> Brown is former executive director of Partners for Peace. He is > accompanied by his 80-year-old father Edwin L. Brown, professor > emeritus at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in the > classics department.
> See video of the elder Mr. Brown being thrown to the ground and > shoved into a penned-in area. He later reported sustaining a bruise > on his hand, which he still has, and being pulled on by a cord > around his neck. In the video "Demonstrators being forcibly ejected > from the street," Edwin Brown is wearing a blue hat: http://husseini.posterous.com/from-earlier-this-morning-demonstrators-forci > (video by Kayvan Farchadi). Michael Brown was kicked in the ribs by > plainclothes Egyptian forces; he and others witnessed Egyptian > government forces pulling women by the hair.
> The Browns were also penned in on Dec. 29 for over four hours > while attempting to visit the U.S. embassy.
>
> EMILY RATNER, emily@nolahumanrights.org
> Ratner was in Gaza in June, but she was turned away from entering > Gaza this weekend by Egyptian officials. She recently wrote the > piece "Freedom Marching in Circles While Winding Our Way to Gaza." http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/12/28-5
>
> For more information, contact at the Institute for Public Accuracy:
> Norman Solomon
>
>
> 980 National Press Building, Washington, D.C. 20045
> (202) 347-0020 * http://www.accuracy.org * ipa@accuracy.org
> ___________________________________________________
>
> Monday, January 4, 2010
>
> Americans Attacked in Cairo over Gaza March;
>
> Video and Interviews Available
>
> A high-stakes standoff continues today in Cairo, where participants > in unprecedented protests are available for interviews.
>
> On New Year's Eve -- shortly after the Egyptian government had > prevented buses from taking them to Gaza -- hundreds of people, > including scores from the U.S., who were attempting to march in > Cairo were kicked, punched and dragged into a holding area by > plainclothes Egyptian government forces.
>
> See video: http://husseini.posterous.com/9292893 (filmed by Sam > Husseini).
>
> Beginning Dec. 27, 1,300 activists from over 40 countries had been > in Cairo attempting to go to Gaza, which has been under siege. > Israel has prevented free movement to or from Gaza on its border > crossings and has prevented the Gaza port and airport from > functioning.
>
> These 1,300 activists -- roughly equal to the number of Palestinians > killed in Gaza during the Israeli bombing "Cast Lead" of this time > last year (about 13 Israelis were also killed) -- have been > prevented by the Egyptian government from going to Gaza through the > Rafah crossing in the south of Gaza.
>
> Protests in Cairo have been ongoing; one took place Monday in front > of the Prosecutor's Office, roughly the equivalent of the Justice > Department. This protest included about 40 Egyptians and 40 > internationals. On New Year's Day, several hundred people protested > in front of the Israeli embassy in Cairo; protests there are > virtually unheard of -- prohibited by the Egyptian authorities. > During protests, people have almost always been penned into areas to > prevent their being seen by the general public.
>
> The following individuals still in Cairo can speak to the violence > of the Egyptian authorities as well as the Egyptian policy of > maintaining the siege of Gaza and the crisis situation in Gaza:
>
> RYAN FAY, Ryanbfay@aol.com
> Fay, a law student, has done legal work on behalf of Palestinians > on the West Bank, attempting to prevent the demolition of their > homes by Israel. See a photo of Fay shortly after being hit with a > police walkie talkie: http://aliabunimah.posterous.com/?sort=&search=ryan > .
>
> MICK NAPIER, chair@scottishpsc.org.uk, http://scottishpsc.org.uk
> Napier is chair of the Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign, > one of hundreds of organizations with delegations in Cairo. He said, > "It is clearer than ever that the Egyptian dictatorship is fully > complicit with Israel's crippling siege of Gaza."
>
> HEDY EPSTEIN, hedy@hedyepstein.com
> Epstein is a survivor of the Nazi Holocaust and author of > "Remembering Is Not Enough." See the New York Times piece "Awaiting > Gaza March, Holocaust Survivor Stages Hunger Strike." http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2009/12/28-3
>
> SAM HUSSEINI, Egyptian mobile: 011-20-161477373, samhusseini@gmail.com
> Communications director of the Institute for Public Accuracy, > Husseini has been blogging and posting videos at: http://husseini.posterous.com > .
>
> MICHAEL BROWN, mikefbrown@yahoo.com
> Brown is former executive director of Partners for Peace. He is > accompanied by his 80-year-old father Edwin L. Brown, professor > emeritus at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in the > classics department.
> See video of the elder Mr. Brown being thrown to the ground and > shoved into a penned-in area. He later reported sustaining a bruise > on his hand, which he still has, and being pulled on by a cord > around his neck. In the video "Demonstrators being forcibly ejected > from the street," Edwin Brown is wearing a blue hat: http://husseini.posterous.com/from-earlier-this-morning-demonstrators-forci > (video by Kayvan Farchadi). Michael Brown was kicked in the ribs by > plainclothes Egyptian forces; he and others witnessed Egyptian > government forces pulling women by the hair.
> The Browns were also penned in on Dec. 29 for over four hours > while attempting to visit the U.S. embassy.
>
> EMILY RATNER, emily@nolahumanrights.org
> Ratner was in Gaza in June, but she was turned away from entering > Gaza this weekend by Egyptian officials. She recently wrote the > piece "Freedom Marching in Circles While Winding Our Way to Gaza." http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/12/28-5
>
> For more information, contact at the Institute for Public Accuracy:
> Norman Solomon
>
>