Six of those arrested from both the Tahrir and the Saoirse have so far been released, including two journalists and both boat captains. David Heap, Ehab Lotayef and 19 other activists remain in Israeli prison.

From David Heap:

Dear sisters and brothers, friends and loved ones,  

It is our first dawn on board the Tahrir in the Mediterranean Sea. Some delegates and journalists are still sleeping, others gradually waking up. The sea got choppy overnight, with equipment crashing off tables and food off counters. This made it hard to sleep at times. The sea looks much rougher than it did as we left the Turkish port of Fethiye, but our captain George says this is pretty normal.

I am writing to you to ask for your public support for the Canadian Boat to Gaza to challenge the illegal and inhumane Israeli blockade.

I am one of the more than 30 Canadians who will embark on that journey later this month, and whose safety depends in part on whether politicians like you have the courage to take a public stand in support of our opposition to the siege of Gaza.

Some of you have expressed concerns about the risks involved in our non-violent direct action to challenge the blockade. I would ask you to consider this: solidarity often entails risks.

Q: You’ve done human rights work in various countries, could you talk a bit about that?

Kevin: I started in Guatemala where I worked a human shield for opposition leaders during negotiations that led to the peace accords, including (Nobel peace Prize winner) Rigoberta Menchú, some deans from the university and a couple of labour lawyers. I also went to El Salvador a couple of times as an elections observer to their legislative and presidential elections. All those trips were under the auspices of the Central America Support Committee (CASC) in Victoria.

The Gaza Freedom March (GFM) was an intense roller-coaster-ride of a week, from the divisive lows of name-calling and recriminations to the high-points of collective action in the streets of Cairo.

LETTRE OUVERTE AU PRÉSIDENT MUBARAK DE LA PART DE DES ORGANISATEURS DE LA MARCHE POUR LA LIBÉRATION DE GAZA

Le 25 décembre 2009

M. le Président,
Au nom des 1 360 individus originaires de 43 pays qui se rendent au Caire afin de participer à la Marche pour la Libération de Gaza, nous faisons appel aux Égyptiens ainsi qu'à votre réputation pour l'hospitalité.