Belgian activists deported from Egypt for participating in March to Gaza
At least two Belgian participants in the March to Gaza have been arrested and deported by Egyptian authorities, according to social media posts from one of the Belgian activists. Others, including participants from France and the Netherlands, were also stopped upon arrival at Cairo airport.
.jpg "Activists, heading towards Gaza by land with the aim of breaking the siege on the Palestinian territory, are greeted by Libyans in Tripoli's Martyrs Square on June 11, 2025, one day after crossing into Libya from Tunisia. In what organisers called a \"symbolic act\", hundreds of participants in a land convoy named \"Soumoud\", meaning \"steadfastness\" in Arabic, crossed the border into Libya on 10 June with the aim of continuing their trip in solidarity with the Palestinians through Egypt to reach Gaza, whose entire population the UN has warned is at risk of famine.
©PHOTO MAHMUD TURKIA / AFP")
©PHOTO MAHMUD TURKIA / AFP
The March to Gaza is a global initiative involving thousands of activists aiming to walk the 48-kilometre route from the Egyptian city of Al-Arish to the Rafah border crossing with the Gaza Strip on 15 June. The march, planned for Friday, seeks to protest the blockade and humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Israel has reportedly asked Egypt to halt the demonstration.
Not all activists have made it to Cairo. According to the organisers, participants from Algeria, Tunisia, Germany, Morocco, Australia, France and other nations have been detained by Egyptian authorities. "They were on their way to join the international March to Gaza, a peaceful attempt to end the blockade and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza," the organisation stated on X, calling for their release.
The French news agency AFP also reported that Belgian, French and German nationals have been deported. Belgian activist Peter Terryn confirmed this in a social media update from Cairo: "Two people from our group were refused last night and repatriated to Belgium. It is not clear why."
Terryn added that most participants are not encountering issues, "especially if they already have a visa, can show a hotel reservation and do not look too conspicuous as an activist." He also noted increased scrutiny of participants with migration backgrounds. "In particular, people with dual nationality, such as the Belgian-Moroccan," he said. "That is remarkable since both Egypt and Morocco have good relations with Israel, or at least do not put much in the way of the country," he added.
Participants in the March to Gaza are waved goodbye as they depart from Schiphol Airport for Egypt. A group of thousands of people, from 35 countries, will walk on foot to the Rafah border crossing during the March.
© PHOTO ANP RAMON VAN FLYMEN
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