Egyptian authorities forcefully suppressed protesters seeking to reach the Gaza border as part of the international “March to Gaza” campaign aimed at ending the Israeli blockade. Concurrently, another group of demonstrators starting from Tunisia faced obstacles from security forces in eastern Libya.
Videos circulating online show plainclothes police attacking demonstrators with kicks and punches, forcibly dispersing some participants. In response, the protesters retaliated by throwing water at their assailants.
Organizers quoted by the British Telegraph reported that around 4,000 demonstrators from 80 countries had gathered in Egypt for the event, with an additional 2,000 on their way by road. They added that authorities confiscated the passports of at least 40 individuals at a checkpoint outside Cairo, where riot police and armored vehicles were present.
Reports indicate that Egyptian authorities paid local residents to attack participants of the #MarchToGaza.
Agents tasked with fulfilling “Israeli” demands assaulted, robbed, and harassed activists.
Numerous peaceful participants have faced detention, harassment, and physical harm… pic.twitter.com/mh8nJ1T6lR
— Global March To Gaza (@globalmarchgaza) June 14, 2025
“They are being contained in the heat and are not allowed to move,” the organizers stated, noting that another 15 individuals were detained within hotels. Among the activists were citizens from France, Spain, Canada, Turkey, and the UK. The organizers stressed that “this is a peaceful demonstration, compliant with Egyptian law,” urging embassies to step in for their release.
Among those detained is Irish MP Paul Murphy, Turkish MP Faruk Dincer, and former U.S. diplomat Hala Raritt, who resigned over the U.S.’s stance on the Gaza conflict. A video released by his party showed Dincer with blood-stained clothing, with a statement asserting he was “injured in an attack.” Paul Murphy communicated via X: “Our passports have been taken, and we are being held. It appears the Egyptian authorities aim to suppress the #GreatMarchToGaza. We refuse to board the deportation bus.”
Murphy and others were taken to Cairo airport for deportation, while some activists, like Raritt, were detained and interrogated upon their arrival in the Egyptian capital. As news of the arrests and deportations spread, many international activists arriving later in Cairo opted to stay there, avoiding further movement toward the border.
This gathering is part of a series of global protests intended to draw attention to the continuing humanitarian crisis in Gaza, exacerbated by Israel’s closure of borders and humanitarian missions since March. Earlier this week, the ship Madleen, carrying aid and Swedish activist Greta Thunberg, docked at an Israeli port, only for her and fellow activists to be deported by Israeli authorities.
While Israel now permits limited aid to enter, experts and humanitarian organizations warn that these amounts are inadequate to address the ongoing needs of the population, which continues to endure severe bombardments.
Egypt finds itself in a precarious situation, receiving military aid from the U.S. while being the first Arab nation to sign a peace treaty with Israel in 1979. Similar to Jordan, it represses pro-Palestinian activists while officially calling for an end to the conflict.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant expressed expectations that Egypt would curb demonstrations at the Israeli border to avoid “provocations” and any attempts to enter Gaza, warning that demonstrator presence could jeopardize the safety of Israeli soldiers.
Belgian human rights lawyer Alexis Deswaef remarked on discovering numerous security vehicles and uniformed officers in the Cairo area where he was staying with fellow activists before the march. “I am very surprised to see Egypt doing Israel’s work,” he noted.
Dutch nationals planned to join the Global March to Gaza were detained and interrogated by Egyptian authorities before being forcibly deported back to the Netherlands.
This action underscores Egypt’s complicity in the ongoing siege and humanitarian crisis in Gaza. pic.twitter.com/SoIQNMc7qO
— Global March To Gaza (@globalmarchgaza) June 14, 2025
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