Palestinian women storm Rafah crossing

Part of me says: These are some brave women--Way to go! Fight for your rights using non-violent resistance!

The rest of me says: How completely embarrassing that the world could allow a situation to become so desperate that these women would take these sorts of measures.

Perhaps calling on Egyptian embassies is a good idea. I know that they are probably concerned that opening the borders would lead to a massive number of people trying to enter Egypt, but at the very least they could open the border for medical emergencies.

Palestinian women storm Rafah crossing; Egyptian police use water cannons, clubs to suppress protesters

Date: 22 / 01 / 2008 Time: 15:34
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[Ma'anImages]
Gaza – Ma'an – Hundreds of Palestinian women were beaten by Egyptian security forces after the women broke through barbed wire on the Rafah border into Egypt from the Gaza Strip on Tuesday afternoon.

Egyptian riot police used water cannons and clubs to suppress a surging crowd of demonstrators. Women shouted "God is great!" while rushing the gate into Egyptian territory. A number of women lost consciousness in the ensuing violence.

The security forces arrested the women, using dogs to break up the crowd.

Demonstrations began at the Rafah crossing point on Monday, with protesters calling for the border to be opened to allow Palestinian patients into Egypt for medical treatment.

After months of tightening sanctions, Israel imposed a total lockdown on the Gaza Strip on Friday, blocking shipments of food, medicine, and fuel oil. Running on emergency generators, Gaza's hospitals were treating only the most serious cases.

Crowds of women gathered at Rafah crossing on Tuesday morning in a demonstration organized by Change and Reform, the Hamas bloc in the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC).

PLC member Huda Na'im said the demonstrators have no intention of backing down: "We won't surrender until they lift the blockade."

Hamas said that Gaza's problems will not solved be by shipments of fuel alone, but that a complete end to the embargo that has besieged one and a half million people in the coastal strip was necessary.

Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri said that the demonstrations and sit-ins will not stop until the blockade is lifted.