What follow is the e-mail sent from Cairo by Minnesotan and Kossack Dave Tilsen:
All we wanted to do was speak to a representative at the consulate in Cairo to ask for assistance in getting across the border to Gaza. When we got to the security gate a couple of blocks before the US embassy in Cairo, and showed our US passports and said that we wanted to go to the embassy, we were first asked to wait a while.
As we waited the group grew in size, eventually a banner for the Gaza Freedom March was unfurled and the police got nervous. We repeatedly asked to be allowed to go to the embassy, or to has a representative from the embassy come and talk to us.
Myself, David Tilsen, my Nephew Mark Tilsen, Sylvial Schartz and the Chalbis were with a group of about 20 people. Eventually riot police with helmets, batons etc, appeared and locked arms. They brought in metal gates and corralled us in in the middle of the street. For five hours people were not allowed to leave, use a bathroom, or have any food or water brought in.
More after the jump, and a video for tomorrow's rally
Video clip advertising tomorrow's march in Minneapolis:
Dave Tilsen's e-mail, continued:
We were told by the Egyptian police that we were being detained at the request of the Embassy. Later, after much negotiation, some pushing and shoving, and tempers flaring, we were told that any citizen had a right to talk to a member of the councilor's office. We knew this.
Finally they let people go, but many people were, at this time in need of bathrooms, or food but the five Minnesotans stayed and did finally see someone from the consulate's office. We made a formal request that the Egyptian government be asked to allow us to enter Gaza. We were told that Egypt was a sovereign government and their decision to not allow us in was their decision. We made the request anyway.
We did not raise the issue at the time of our detention because we did not want to cloud the request to get into Gaza with another request at this time.
We do intend to seek, somehow a review or response from the American Government on this issue.
I am sending this to Jake Spano from Senator Klobuchar's office, Jake, what can be done about this? Remember please though, that getting the border crossing open is the immediate issue.
The groups flickr photostream: http://www.flickr.com/...
Minnesotans please call Senator Klobuchar's office at: 612-727-5220 and ask them to help the MN delegation to the Gaza Freedom March get access to Gaza and avoid further harm or harassment from the Egyptian Gov't or US State Dept. and then come rally with us tomorrow at 11:30 AM in the skyway level of the Hennepin Co. Gov't Center!
Update: LA Times reports on detentions of Americans in Egypt
Meanwhile, organizers of the freedom march announced that 38 participants were briefly detained by security forces at their hotel inside El Arish (30 miles away from the Gaza border) and at the city's bus station on Sunday afternoon.
"Egyptian security forces eventually yielded, letting most of the marchers leave the hotel, but did not permit them to leave the town. When two younger delegates attempted to leave Al-Arish, authorities stopped their taxi and unloaded their luggage," a statement from the organizers said.
March participants confirmed that they are trying to persuade the Egyptian government to let them proceed with their initial plan. Their efforts included asking for the Arab League's support, as well as visiting a number of foreign embassies and the Egyptian presidential palace to deliver an appeal to President Hosni Mubarak.
Nonetheless, more than 30 Americans were detained by Egyptian security forces inside the U.S. Embassy today while they were seeking help to facilitate negotiations with the Egyptian Foreign Ministry in gaining entrance to Gaza with their humanitarian aid.
When asked about the motive behind such detention, Gael Murphy, who's taking part in the march, said she was told by Egyptian officers that the American Embassy called for the officers' help to protect its premises.
Alongside Israel, Egypt has been imposing a blockade on Gaza since Hamas took over the strip in 2007.
-- Amro Hassan in Cairo