Grasse morning until 9am for the first day of the year! No specific program, so for breakfast we decided to accompany some friends at the Embassy of France, just to breathe the atmosphere of what has become the symbol of the Cairo international march stopped, and an attraction; The embassy is located just opposite the zoo, the broad avenue along the Nile. A long line of military trucks parked next to the zoo, while in contrast, a cordon of riot police faced the Egyptian embassy. Standing on the floor, they seem small robocops with visors and neck turned in their big leather shoes rising, approaching, we discover under the helmets of the faces of older adolescents, attentive to the slightest movement of the superior passing regularly to realign the ranks. These unfortunate stay there for hours waiting for the next generation, many ailments are eu lieu nous dit-on et les enfermés volontaires ont négocié avec les services de sécurité qu’ils puissent avoir des bancs pour s’asseoir pendant la nuit.
On pénètre ou on sort de cette enceinte bien gardée par une des extrémités du trottoir. Sur 150 mètres, le trottoir est occupé par des tentes, des sacs à dos, des valises et des cartons pas encore repliés de la nuit. Le mur est couvert de panneaux et de banderoles soutenant la Palestine, appelant à la marche internationale ou réclamant les bus pour aller à Gaza. Le milieu du trottoir est un promenoir où les derniers éveillés se dégourdissent les jambes, où l’on commence une conversation to finish at 2 to 5. A little life was organized between the everyday needs (food, drink, sleep, and the rest ...) and militant activism. Some sweep the sidewalk, others go for meals at a nearby restaurant, a press review is shown with its translation, daily meetings are held at fixed times.
We continue our gallery of portraits with tape. We find Monsignor Gaillot sleeping there since the beginning, I'm walking with this courageous man who remembers the Ardeche and the mobilization for Khedher. We sit down a moment to talk because he does not look in shape. Without the been noticed, the sidewalk was empty, and when we leave, it is impossible to leave, the reason was soon known: the International staged a demonstration outside the Embassy Israel not far from here. We were not warned and must now wait until it is finished to exit.
Two hours later, the demonstrators back, we have a live account: 5 to 600 people, mostly international but with a few Egyptians were able to approach the embassy and to peacefully protest against the blockade , violations of international law by Israel, and in support of Palestinians.
soon blockaded the street from the embassy lifted, and we go on the way we do some shopping with a special order box of "Laughing Cow" in Arabic. The young trader who served us understanding that we are French dares to talk about Gaza, it makes us understand in English difficult it is Palestinian and we out of his cash drawer his refugee passport (written partly in French, please ...)! His parents were forced to leave Jaffa after 1948, then El Kods (Jerusalem) to take refuge in Egypt where his mother arrived pregnant who speaks to us. His family is now scattered among Egypt, Jordan and America. Stunned by our chance meeting and the summary of true great history, we leave the shop and asked him to sign the box of "Laughing Cow" and thanking him for his confidence.
Ali Patrick and Patrice
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