Pro-Palestinian activists attempting to march towards Gaza in a symbolic challenge to Israel’s blockade were halted on Friday in both Egypt and Libya, according to organisers.
Organisers of the “Global March to Gaza” said 40 participants had their passports confiscated at a checkpoint while trying to leave Cairo.
The group, which includes nationals from France, Spain, Canada, Turkey, and the UK, said the activists were being held in the heat and denied freedom of movement. A further 15 people were reportedly being held at hotels.
“We are a peaceful movement, and we are complying with Egyptian law,” the group said in a statement on Friday, June 13, calling on foreign embassies to intervene and secure their release.
Footage later sent to AFP showed Egyptian security forces dispersing sit-ins. Protester Florence Heskia claimed that women were “molested and carried like cattle onto the bus.” Another activist, Nadia, said their passports had been taken and they were being pressured to board a bus destined for the airport, where they feared deportation.
The Global March had earlier announced plans for 4,000 participants from over 40 countries to gather in Cairo before travelling to Gaza. The plan involved a bus journey to El-Arish in the Sinai Peninsula, followed by a 50-kilometre march to Gaza’s border. Participants were then scheduled to camp before returning to Cairo by June 19.
Meanwhile, a separate convoy dubbed “Soumoud” (Arabic for “steadfastness”), comprising activists from Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, and Mauritania, was stopped in eastern Libya.
Tunisian organiser Wael Naouar said in a Facebook video that the caravan was blocked at the entrance to Sirte, a city controlled by forces loyal to eastern Libyan commander Khalifa Haftar.
Naouar said Egyptian authorisation was required to proceed to Gaza, but conflicting reports from Libyan security officials left the convoy uncertain. “We will not turn back,” he vowed.
In Cairo, one person was reportedly arrested on Friday as security forces cracked down on attempts by activists to gather in the city. On Thursday, organisers claimed that Egyptian authorities had detained over 200 people, with some deported and others later released.
“We did not expect the violence with which many people were arrested, deported, and threatened,” said Hichem Al Ghaoui, one of the organisers, in a statement on TikTok.
Egypt’s foreign ministry had earlier reiterated its support for Palestinian rights and called for pressure on Israel. However, it stressed that any group seeking to visit the Gaza border must apply for formal authorisation through the appropriate diplomatic channels.
