1,000 Delegates from 42 Countries

Over one hundred students from around the world will be traveling to Gaza this winter to participate in the Gaza Freedom March. On December 31, over 1,000 international delegates will join Palestinians in a non-violent march from Northern Gaza to the Israeli border calling for an end to the siege. The march is a historic initiative to break the ongoing US-backed Israeli blockade against Gaza.  

The group of international students plans to meet with their peers at Gazan universities who will have a chance to share their experiences as youth in the war torn territory. Students in America have been fundraising not only to pay for their travel expenses but also to bring thousands of dollars of aid into the strip. Nuha Masri, a student from California, sold baked goods at school in order to get to the march, which will be her first trip back to Palestine since her family left when she was eleven years old. Julia Hurley, a student in New Jersey, fundraised over 12,000 dollars to bring aid to Palestinian youth suffering as a result of the blockade. For Ali Glenesk, a student at UC Berkeley and American student coordinator for the march, this will be her third trip to Gaza. She states that, “Upon visiting Gaza, the realities of the siege cannot be denied. It is imperative that Americans work to lift the siege because our tax dollars are going to support it.”  

Deema Mishal, a medical student, Gazan peace activist, and the Palestinian student coordinator for the march, has been working closely with Glenesk to organize the student delegation. She firmly believes that the march is a means to highlight Gaza’s condition as a whole. She says that, “we have to change the reality that is happening here now. The people in this land deserve to have a normal life without all the fears that we wake up with everyday, we only want peace.” Mishal also states that “this is the first time ever that the Palestinians come together in such large numbers along with internationals to say no to repression.” Inside Gaza, excitement is growing. Representatives of all aspects of civil society, including students, professors, refugee groups, unions, women's organizations, and NGOs, have been busy organizing and it is estimated that at least 50,000 Palestinians will participate.  

The iDocs Group in San Francisco in cooperation with The Media Group in Gaza City has begun filming a feature length documentary about the march. The film will show how both Palestinians and internationals prepare for the march and follow them throughout their experience. Producers plan to highlight Mishal and Glenesk, and the student movement they have begun to build across borders. Glenesk explains her continued involvement, saying, “I guess I keep going back because you simply can't deny or turn away from the injustice once you've been there and seen it. The heartwarming thing about the student group though, is that we can spend the day witnessing and talking about things that no human being should ever have to experience, but then later be sitting around playing guitar and having fun. There is hope in that.” 

For more information see www.gazafreedommarch.org 

Deema Mishal dm.meshal@gmail.com

Ali Glenesk ali.glenesk@gmail.com