Our orientation meeting was tonight and we had our first chance to meet the other delegates. We went around the room for introductions of this amazing group of people. It was heartening to see many young people, including a lively group from New Orleans! There is a nice mix of people who have been to Palestine before — some with the previous CodePink delegation — as well as many first-timers. Though most are U.S. citizens, it is also a very international delegation with people from Canada, Australia, Portugal and Scotland as well as a few Egyptians who will be joining us. Author Norman Finkelstein is also with us. And when asked how many people are bringing video cameras, about 10 hands shot up. So this should be a very well documented trip!
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See below the latest press release from CodePink:

LARGE DELEGATION—MOSTLY AMERICANS–LEAVES CAIRO FOR GAZA; LAUNCH CAMPAIGN URGING OBAMA TO VISIT GAZA DURING HIS TRIP TO EGYPT NEXT WEEK

When: Friday, May 29, 2009, 9am
Where: parking lot next to the Saudi Arabian Airlines office on Qasr Nile Street, near the Nile Hilton Hotel, CAIRO

With the upcoming visit of President Obama to Cairo on June 4, a 66-person delegation, including Americans from 18 states, leaves Cairo on May 29 for the Gaza Strip. The group of peace activists, bringing toys and building playgrounds for the traumatized children of Gaza, has launched an international petition calling on Obama to visit Gaza and see the destruction for himself. They will return to Cairo on June 4 in time to deliver to the U.S. Embassy the petition asking Obama to visit the war-torn region and to push Israel and Egypt to open the borders.
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One of the three delegations that answered CodePink’s call to enter Gaza in the same period, a group of Canadian citizens, are on their way back from Gaza. They spent three days at the border trying to get in and ended up with only 36 hours in Gaza. They met with organizations and the people of Gaza around the clock, from 6am to midnight, to make use of the little time they had. And all agreed it was well worth it.

The delegation from New York as well as the students, mostly from the American University in Cairo will be leaving Gaza as we arrive and we hope to meet up with them to hear their stories.

These three delegations were all organized by participants of the March CodePink trip to Gaza. And they have done much to pave the way for us.

Despite some intimidation tactics on the part of the Egyptian police, the first three delegations, one from Canada, one from New York and a student delegation — over 60 people — all made it into Gaza today!

It took a number of phone calls by the CodePink organizers here in Cairo to the proper authorities, but in the end they got through. These three delegations are all headed up by people who participated in the first CodePink delegation back in March.

As Medea said, “Today we made another dent in the armor that is imprisoning the people of Gaza.”

Also the Hope Fleet, which was organized by the European Campaign to End the Siege and led by former Italian senator Fernando Rossi, made it into Gaza. Not all of the delegates were allowed in but at least all 40 vehicles carrying food and medicines crossed into Gaza.

Maria is in Cairo! She arrived from Nairobi today and is with Chérine. Stephanie will be arriving tomorrow.

There will be an orientation meeting with the entire delegation, numbering around 80 people now, on Thursday. And on Friday we leave for Al-Arish, near the Rafah crossing.

We will blog as often as possible!

The good news is that the Candian group made it to Al-Arish with another bus company. They were stopped by police at one of the checkpoints past the Suez Canal and the police escorted their vehicle to the hotel in Al-Arish and are keeping a close watch on them.

The group will try to cross into Gaza tomorrow morning.

The CodePink organizers are contacting Congress, embassies, Red Crescent, Canadian Parliament, etc. to get more political support.

Delegates are contacting their congressional/Senate offices, to let them know a constituent is participating and asking that they contact the Egyptian or Israeli Embassy to help facilitate your trip.

Our first taste of the difficulties getting to Gaza…CodePink press release:

Egyptian government attempts to block travel by foreign nationals to border crossing with Gaza; CODEPINK delegations say they will not turn back

CAIRO, Egypt — May 21, 2009 – As more than 160 Americans and other citizens from around the world begin arriving in Cairo with the intent to cross into Gaza, the operators of Egyptian bus services say they been prohibited by the Egyptian government from transporting them to the border. The groups, made up of four delegations on the Egyptian side and one on the Israeli side, are part of a CODEPINK campaign to bring humanitarian supplies and build playgrounds for the children of Gaza.

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So far, the CodePink delegations will be bringing $15,000 worth of playground equipment, toys and school supplies. In addition, we are bringing in children’s medicines (the amount not yet determined).

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See below the press release CodePink issues in late April:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE     April 28, 2009

As Obama meets with Middle East leaders, more than 100 citizen diplomats travel to Gaza Will call for end of crippling border blockade

WHEN: May 25 to June 14
WHERE: Egypt to Gaza, Israel to Gaza

WASHINGTON — To pressure the Obama administration to push Israel and Egypt to end their blockade of Gaza, five delegations of students, lawyers, teachers, journalists and activists will rally at the borders of the war-torn land in June and attempt to break the siege. If they are allowed in, they will bring toys, school supplies and materials to build playgrounds.

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