'March to Gaza' Group detained, beaten, and deported

ThatRobGuy · Jun 18, 2025

"March to Gaza" group allegedly assaulted after being detained in Egypt

Activists from dozens of countries were blocked as they headed to the Palestinian enclave.

www.newsweek.com

'Beaten, deported': How Egypt treated foreigners trying to break Gaza siege

International participants in the march for Gaza say they were assaulted by 'thugs in civilian clothes' as authorities blocked hundreds from reaching border of occupied Palestine

www.middleeasteye.net

The Global March to Gaza has been touted as one of the largest demonstrations of its kind in years. The initiative seeks to highlight the plight of Palestinians in Gaza, who have faced a bombardment due to Israel's war on Hamas.

The arrests in Egypt follow Israel's interception of a boat carrying activists on their way to Gaza, including environmental campaigner Greta Thunberg. Egypt has cracked down on pro-Palestinian activists even as it publicly condemns Israeli aid restrictions and has called for an end to the war.

Perhaps the people they were expecting to be "allies" aren't as "enlightened and progressive" as they were expecting them to be.

I suspect that, much like Brittney Greiner (after being returned from Russia, opted to start standing for the anthem again) will have a newfound appreciation for their home countries.

TFW you realize you're not in a westernized country anymore...

IceJad · Jun 18, 2025

Western activists are unfortunately lacking in cognitive ability. All passion no brain.

There are reasons why surrounding Arab countries do not open their borders despite the (western) perceived comradery voiced by them. One can argue they don't want to allow Israel to empty Gaza by pushing out all Palestinians to surrounding nations. To ensure Palestinian still exercise physical claim to the land. However that is the puppet show - a form of virtue signalling to the greater Arab/Muslim sphere. What is more compelling is that they are fully aware of the consequences of sheltering a large population that is culturally alien. And historically this has been proven to be disastrous to the host nation.

One needs only look at Jordan and the Black September incident. Where the Palestinians organized and tried to overthrow the Jordanian monarchy which they lost. Subsequently they were exiled to Lebanon and immediately started engaging in conflict with the locals. Also Lebanon's demographics were permanently changed due to the large influx of Palestinians. The politics in Lebanon to this very day has been on a tightrope ever since. On top of the immense financial, administrative and social costs to the host nation.

It is easy for activists to protest for something because it is not the activists who have to face the consequences long term. They get to virtue signal, feel euphoric, self-righteous then leave Egypt holding on to the hot potato they left behind. And this is not to mention the level of arrogance to go into another country then proceed to impose your own will solely based on one's own judgement. Who asked? They are lucky to be only deported. If you're NOT from that nation you DO NOT meddle in their affairs. DO NOT be charitable with other people's resources.

The situation in Gaza is indeed dire. However Global March to Gaza is not helping in the slightest. It is performative and nothing more. There are times where we DO have to let international bodies play their roles regardless of how slow or inefficient you perceive them to be.

trophy33 · Jun 18, 2025

IceJad said:
There are reasons why surrounding Arab countries do not open their borders despite the (western) perceived comradery voiced by them.

According to wiki, it seems that Palestinians are genetically quite close to original Jews. They did not mix with Arabs too much. They may have the same religion, but they are different, both culturally, historically and ethnically.

They are closer to Jews than many today's Jews in Israel.

Origin of the Palestinians - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Genetic studies of Jews - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

IceJad · Jun 19, 2025

trophy33 said:
According to wiki, it seems that Palestinians are genetically quite close to original Jews. They did not mix with Arabs too much. They may have the same religion, but they are different, both culturally, historically and ethnically.

They are closer to Jews than many today's Jews in Israel.

Origin of the Palestinians - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Genetic studies of Jews - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

It's an interesting read. Yet the conflict today has very little to do with genome and has more to do with culture and history. Base on geographical history not all middle eastern people have good relations with each other. Even when they share many common threads. It is the nuances that usually divide them and these nuances stem from their tribal loyalty.

ThatRobGuy · Jun 19, 2025

trophy33 said:
According to wiki, it seems that Palestinians are genetically quite close to original Jews. They did not mix with Arabs too much. They may have the same religion, but they are different, both culturally, historically and ethnically.

They are closer to Jews than many today's Jews in Israel.

Many of the other Arab peoples don't necessarily have a huge "fondness" for Palestinians either due to past interactions.

While they'll provide a tepid level of support to Palestinians over certain other entities due to religious affiliation, that's about it. Egypt has even recently passed restrictions on pro-Palestinian protests in general.

I heard a political commentator (and one that's more left-leaning no less) the other day draw the comparison of:
"The Egyptians and Lebanese view the Palestinians much like the staunch conservatives in the US view the Latin American countries... if a perceived "outside religious rival" attacked them, they'd lend vocal support, but they aren't eager to have them come over to live with them either"

A US-centric hypothetical example would be:

If a radical Islamist entity attacked Mexico for religious reasons, the staunch conservative Christians in south Texas would vocally support Mexico in that exchange (based on the fact that Mexico is also largely Christian). However, if a bunch of progressive activists from Europe flew over, and wanted to march from San Antonio to the border to show solidarity with Mexico, they would likely be mistaken if they were expecting to meet "enthusiastic allies" upon arriving in South Texas.

RocksInMyHead · Jun 20, 2025

ThatRobGuy said:
Perhaps the people they were expecting to be "allies" aren't as "enlightened and progressive" as they were expecting them to be.

I don't get that impression from the articles you linked. These seem to be activists trying to make a scene and raise awareness. Egypt is the only country besides Israel that shares a land border with Gaza, so it's really the only option they had if they wanted to walk to Gaza.

ThatRobGuy · Jun 20, 2025

RocksInMyHead said:
I don't get that impression from the articles you linked. These seem to be activists trying to make a scene and raise awareness. Egypt is the only country besides Israel that shares a land border with Gaza, so it's really the only option they had if they wanted to walk to Gaza.

Have you seen any of the video clips showing the scuffles?

It would seem as if they were assuming the people there would be more supportive.

I have the actual video clip saved at home on my other PC

But there's one such exchange in which they did their "sit in the road" routine right at a checkpoint and were blocking people, and the Egyptian citizens were having none of it.

At one point, a group of them start dragging some of the guys off the road (and roughing them up a bit)

And one woman starts saying "no no no, Allahu Akbar, we are against the Israeli aggression" (and holds up a part of her keffiyeh to show them)... they weren't fazed by that nor impressed.

I'm able to find a few still photographs from the exchange:

It started with a few of the Egyptian men hand gesturing for them to move out of the way and a few Egyptian women yelling something at them that sounded pretty angry.

And then after a minute or two of them continuing their little "we're just going to keep sitting here and singing this song we rehearsed", in the last picture you'll see the moment the Egyptian residents said "Nope, that's it, play in the street time is over, I've got places to be" (and started dragging them away -- shown in the last pic)

There's another video going around that was on TikTok and X, showing the citizens of Egypt whipping water bottles and trash at them amid another little "sit-in" (not sure if that happened before or after the first exchange above, but I'm guessing perhaps after, because they seemed quite a bit more hostile)

You've gotta admit, White women saying "no no, Allahu Akbar! (and not even pronouncing it right) See look at my scarf, we're with you guys" is a bit on the cringey side and looks a bit desperate...and seems as if they had certain expectations in their heads of being regarded as "brave" like they get when they're in the progressive areas of their own countries.

I'm reminded of that scene from National Lampoon's vacation where Clark finds himself in a rough part of St. Louis, and thinks he's going to fit in by saying "Hey, excuse me Homes...what it is bro!"

rjs330 · Jun 20, 2025

ThatRobGuy said:
Have you seen any of the video clips showing the scuffles?

It would seem as if they were assuming the people there would be more supportive.

I have the actual video clip saved at home on my other PC

But there's one such exchange in which they did their "sit in the road" routine right at a checkpoint and were blocking people, and the Egyptian citizens were having none of it.

At one point, a group of them start dragging some of the guys off the road (and roughing them up a bit)

And one woman starts saying "no no no, Allahu Akbar, we are against the Israeli aggression" (and holds up a part of her keffiyeh to show them)... they weren't fazed by that nor impressed.

I'm able to find a few still photographs from the exchange:
View attachment 366541
View attachment 366542
View attachment 366543
View attachment 366544

It started with a few of the Egyptian men hand gesturing for them to move out of the way and a few Egyptian women yelling something at them that sounded pretty angry.

And then after a minute or two of them continuing their little "we're just going to keep sitting here and singing this song we rehearsed", in the last picture you'll see the moment the Egyptian residents said "Nope, that's it, play in the street time is over, I've got places to be" (and started dragging them away -- shown in the last pic)

There's another video going around that was on TikTok and X, showing the citizens of Egypt whipping water bottles and trash at them amid another little "sit-in" (not sure if that happened before or after the first exchange above, but I'm guessing perhaps after, because they seemed quite a bit more hostile)

You've gotta admit, White women saying "no no, Allahu Akbar! (and not even pronouncing it right) See look at my scarf, we're with you guys" is a bit on the cringey side and looks a bit desperate...and seems as if they had certain expectations in their heads of being regarded as "brave" like they get when they're in the progressive areas of their own countries.

I'm reminded of that scene from National Lampoon's vacation where Clark finds himself in a rough part of St. Louis, and thinks he's going to fit in by saying "Hey, excuse me Homes...what it is bro!"

View attachment 366547

These people are just another example of how leftists dont get it. The middle east mind set is NOT the same as the western mindset. The progressives in much of Europe and the US think that because they march in the streets, hold up signs, take over campuses that the middle east will love them and support them. In Europe they took in millions of these people thinking it compassionate and that they would be very grateful and blend right in. Only to find they don't blend in with the western mindset and they are very willing to bring their radical beliefs into the west and use them against the west.

Its what we've been saying all along. Try their "progressive way of life" over there and you will be beat down or even killed in some circumstances. Yet they ignore that with foolishness as they discovered. Yet we are told we must and need to bring them here, tge poor and oppressed, while ignoring the problems that Europe has had.

RocksInMyHead · Jun 21, 2025

ThatRobGuy said:
Have you seen any of the video clips showing the scuffles?

I'm not a mind reader. If the information and sources you share when making your argument don't support your argument, you shouldn't be surprised when people question your conclusions. As I said in my post, I didn't get that impression from the articles you linked.

ThatRobGuy said:
And one woman starts saying "no no no, Allahu Akbar, we are against the Israeli aggression" (and holds up a part of her keffiyeh to show them)... they weren't fazed by that nor impressed.

Alright, so you have one person who appears to have had some misconceptions about how they would be received. I'm not sure how you extrapolate that to the whole group though. It seems to me that the people expressing surprise at their treatment were more concerned with the level of violence they experienced rather than the generally negative response. Is that naive of them? Absolutely. But it's hardly expecting "enlightenment" or "progressivism" or "allies." The overall impression I get is that the majority of the organizers see this as a small success - despite not reaching their goal, they got media attention, maintained their peaceful protest in the face of violent backlash, and no one was seriously injured.

Will it make a difference? Probably not, unless the scale of these sorts of demonstrations gets significantly larger, but keep in mind that they're trying to draw the attention of the international community, not Egypt.

ThatRobGuy · Jun 21, 2025

RocksInMyHead said:
Alright, so you have one person who appears to have had some misconceptions about how they would be received. I'm not sure how you extrapolate that to the whole group though. It seems to me that the people expressing surprise at their treatment were more concerned with the level of violence they experienced rather than the generally negative response. Is that naive of them? Absolutely. But it's hardly expecting "enlightenment" or "progressivism" or "allies." The overall impression I get is that the majority of the organizers see this as a small success - despite not reaching their goal, they got media attention, maintained their peaceful protest in the face of violent backlash, and no one was seriously injured.

Well, they were all chanting Allahu Akbar at one point as part of some little routine they rehearsed... what point is there in a bunch of non-Arab, non-Muslim Americans and Europeans chanting an Arabic saying from a Muslim prayer ritual, if not for the fact that they thought it was going to give them some sort of "street cred"?

Given that there was already huge media attention about the issue itself, whose benefit was that media attention from this little altercation for?

It's the same critique I've made against the "Just Stop Oil" people. They do these outlandish things to draw media attention for the self-serving purpose of showing how "down with the cause" they are, while claiming "it's about raising awareness about climate change" -- as if people weren't already overwhelmingly aware of the climate change debate.

I think there's a good chance that if the Egyptians stood aside and said "yeah, fine, head on in to Gaza", they wouldn't have gotten a heroes welcome from the Gazans either. But it would've been a valuable learning experience for them.

bèlla · Jun 21, 2025

rjs330 said:
Only to find they don't blend in with the western mindset and they are very willing to bring their radical beliefs into the west and use them against the west.

How do you reconcile that statement with the work being performed by missionaries around the world? Many who knowingly enter countries hostile to christianity under false pretenses and proselytize while doing so. How can christians speak negatively about a group not adopting western principles when they do the same based on their beliefs to others? Then complain when you’re persecuted afterward.

~bella

rjs330 · Jun 21, 2025

bèlla said:
How do you reconcile that statement with the work being performed by missionaries around the world? Many who knowingly enter countries hostile to christianity under false pretenses and proselytize while doing so. How can christians speak negatively about a group not adopting western principles when they do the same based on their beliefs to others? Then complain when you’re persecuted afterward.

~bella

Are you serious? Are you actually equating Christian missionaries who share the gospel of Jesus Christ with Muslims who go into other countries and bring Islamism with them, sharia law, raping women, knifing people, bringing violence and tge support of terrorism with them? We are not talking about Muslim missionaries. Do we have a flood of missionaries pouring into countries by the millions? No.

But we do have floods of millions if Islamists entering Europe bring with them their radical and violent views with them.

Once again you prove my point that westerners are clueless. Comparing missionaries to Islamists who are causing all kinds of serious problems across the globe and who are causing serious problems in Europe bring hatred and violence and radicalism, support for terrorists with them.

bèlla · Jun 21, 2025

rjs330 said:
Are you serious? Are you actually equating Christian missionaries who share the gospel of Jesus Christ with Muslims who go into other countries and bring Islamism with them, sharia law, raping women, knifing people, bringing violence and tge support of terrorism with them? We are not talking about Muslim missionaries. Do we have a flood of missionaries pouring into countries by the millions? No.

You view the practice differently from others based on your beliefs which influences your actions. But a person who feels otherwise may find it harmful or deceptive. Every muslim that enters another country isn’t doing that and you’re aware of this. You have good and bad in every group including christians.

rjs330 said:
But we do have floods of millions if Islamists entering Europe bring with them their radical and violent views with them.

How did they get there? If memory serves that was the government’s doing. You have to direct your frustration where it belongs. They knew they were different.

rjs330 said:
Once again you prove my point that westerners are clueless. Comparing missionaries to Islamists who are causing all kinds of serious problems across the globe and who are causing serious problems in Europe bring hatred and violence and radicalism, support for terrorists with them.

I haven’t proven anything save the narrative you’re imagining. I asked a question and you’ve answered. My unwillingness to rage about other groups doesn’t make me clueless nor does my ability to see a situation from multiple vantage points. I never compared them to anyone committing crimes. That was your suggestion.

I participate in these discussions to see what people think and gauge the temperature. There’s a lot of things many will never admit in person. But anonymity encourages their liberty and I can hear their heart and that’s the goal. I want to know what you really think when you’re not being polite or politically correct. And when I encounter it in person I know what I’m dealing with and who to avoid.

So much for assumptions.

~bella

Landon Caeli · Jun 21, 2025

There should come a point, *after* you're able to see other people's POV's, where actual solutions, and ideas come into play...

...Those who cannot find that second part, should not see themselves as being farther ahead than those who can.

rjs330 · Jun 21, 2025

bèlla said:
How did they get there? If memory serves that was the government’s doing. You have to direct your frustration where it belongs. They knew they were different.

The governments did so because they were foolish. Once again thinking with the weatwrn mindset. Thinking they were just poor refugees and would just blend into the society that accepted them. The exact same thinking of so many including these stupid kids.

If people are dumb enough not to let it, they suffer the consequences. This is exactly why regime change doeant work in the middle east if its the outside tgat is doing it. They DONT THINK LIKE US.

bèlla said:
Every muslim that enters another country isn’t doing that and you’re aware of this. You have good and bad in every group including christians.

No they aren't, but SO many are. And you cant tell the difference. Christians are not flooding the Muslim countries by the millions. Shoot, even non-Christians from western societies aren't doing it either. The Muslims wont allow it becauae they know good and well what they bring with them. And they dont want it. But rhe west is to dumb to recognize this and they let them flood in. And now are reaping the whirlwind.

bèlla said:
I participate in these discussions to see what people think and gauge the temperature. There’s a lot of things many will never admit in person. But anonymity encourages their liberty and I can hear their heart and that’s the goal. I want to know what you really think when you’re not being polite or politically correct. And when I encounter it in person I know what I’m dealing with and who to avoid.

What I am telling you is the truth. And these kids found it out. Europe has found it out.

I dont know what you think you've discovered about me. But I bet you are totally wrong. As you say assumption is the mother of all mess ups. The kids in the OP discovered that. Many in Europe have discovered that as well.

There IS such a thing as discernment. Its called wisdom. Are there some sections in a city that you would stay out of? Or some places you wouldn't go due to safety? Why?

You are being very obtuse in your response. Do you feel you need to avoid me?

IceJad · Jun 22, 2025

rjs330 said:
Yet we are told we must and need to bring them here, tge poor and oppressed, while ignoring the problems that Europe has had.

I just want to give a little more perspective on this kind of mental imagery that a lot of people seem to have. That victims of aggression are always morally upright, peaceful and loving. What befell upon them are always "out of the blue" perpetrated solely by evil people.

History has proven that many victims of oppression are themselves oppressors at one point in time or have the same oppressive tendencies yet to be carried out. What happened to them while unjust don't erase their underlying mentality and desires. They were just unfortunate to have met with another group of oppressors who had more advantages and capabilities at that given encounter.

Like the Palestinians who orchestrated the Black September incident in Jordan. They were victims of the Israeli conquest, yet have zero qualms at going on conquests in Jordan and Lebanon despite being given refuge. Or take another example, the people of Europe during WW2. They were victims of Nazi Germany, yet once they won did unthinkable things to the German population when they came to administer the defeated nation. Let's just say German women where asking each other, "how many times today?". Read it up for those who didn't catch the subtext. In the same vein, how the victorious Allies painted Imperial Japan as "violators" of Nanking, yet records abound that the Allies occupation did nothing less to the Japanese women (some victims are not legally adults - make of it what you want). Going down further to the Korean War where the South Korean government themselves indulge in the same "pleasure" services they so brazenly condemn the Japanese for. Solely because the Americans fighting for them seem to spend too much of their money in Japan for such services. Money they could get if these services are provided locally. In fact there are so many examples of such victims being in the image of their oppressors, that they're beyond laborious to list them all.

The point is we help the victims of aggression and oppression yet don't throw caution to the wind. Be measured. Not all who came begging wants charity.

rjs330 · Jun 22, 2025

IceJad said:
The point is we help the victims of aggression and oppression yet don't throw caution to the wind. Be measured. Not all who came begging wants charity.

This^ Not every person in the middle east is an Islamist. Nor do they support terrorists acts. However it is very difficult to determine who is and who isnt. Its much easier to determine what countries the radicals inhabit. So extreme deep dives into anyone from those countries would be prudent before allowing them in. And if the country is not cooperating then its hard no. Other countries are far more open and in those countries less scrutiny and restrictive policies may be appropriate.

I would prefer though serious deep in depth checks on pretty much everyone from the middle east. We have enough radicals in America who are citizens. How stupid it is to bring in radicals from other countries.

RocksInMyHead · Jun 22, 2025

ThatRobGuy said:
Well, they were all chanting Allahu Akbar at one point as part of some little routine they rehearsed... what point is there in a bunch of non-Arab, non-Muslim Americans and Europeans chanting an Arabic saying from a Muslim prayer ritual, if not for the fact that they thought it was going to give them some sort of "street cred"?

Even if we assume that your speculation on their motivation for saying that is true, I'm not sure how it supports your argument that they assumed they would receive a friendly welcome. And how do you know some of them aren't Muslim (their ethnicity is irrelevant)?

ThatRobGuy said:
Given that there was already huge media attention about the issue itself, whose benefit was that media attention from this little altercation for?

Maybe they think there isn't enough. Given the lack of action by Western governments on the issue, there's certainly more that could be done. Whether or not that's a good idea is a separate issue entirely, but these are people who have already made up their minds on that part.

ThatRobGuy said:
I think there's a good chance that if the Egyptians stood aside and said "yeah, fine, head on in to Gaza", they wouldn't have gotten a heroes welcome from the Gazans either. But it would've been a valuable learning experience for them.

Maybe not. But this assumes that that was their goal in the first place.

It's no skin off my back if you think this was a pointless publicity stunt (honestly, I mostly agree on that point). But I'm not sure why you feel the need to invent a narrative just to mock these people.

rjs330 · Jun 22, 2025

RocksInMyHead said:
Even if we assume that your speculation on their motivation for saying that is true, I'm not sure how it supports your argument that they assumed they would receive a friendly welcome. And how do you know some of them aren't Muslim (their ethnicity is irrelevant)?

Maybe they think there isn't enough. Given the lack of action by Western governments on the issue, there's certainly more that could be done. Whether or not that's a good idea is a separate issue entirely, but these are people who have already made up their minds on that part.

Maybe not. But this assumes that that was their goal in the first place.

It's no skin off my back if you think this was a pointless publicity stunt (honestly, I mostly agree on that point). But I'm not sure why you feel the need to invent a narrative just to mock these people.

Some people deserve to be mocked by other people for foolish behavior. This is one of those circumstances. Cluelessness is a common theme among far too many on this entire issue. These folks are prime examples of it.

bèlla · Jun 22, 2025

rjs330 said:
I dont know what you think you've discovered about me. But I bet you are totally wrong. As you say assumption is the mother of all mess ups. The kids in the OP discovered that. Many in Europe have discovered that as well.

I didn‘t mention anyone specifically. I simply shared my reasons for engagement. You’ve taken the comment and run with it instead of seeing it for what it was. Some people come online because they’re bored, lonely, etc. There’s a lot of reasons why people do what they do and they’re rarely the same.

rjs330 said:
There IS such a thing as discernment. Its called wisdom. Are there some sections in a city that you would stay out of? Or some places you wouldn't go due to safety? Why?

You are being very obtuse in your response. Do you feel you need to avoid me?

The Lord has blessed me with wisdom and discernment. Naturally and spiritually so. Answering that question is silly and something a reasonably minded person would do unless they’re in an area that was unfamiliar to their detriment. And no, I’m not avoiding you or anyone else. But there comes a point when it‘s necessary to step aside or take your hands off and I‘ve reached that place.

This isn’t my fight and no amount of discussion will change that or reverse the destructive tendencies of some. Many decisions were made that have exacerbated the problems in this country and others and it isn’t wholly in the lap of leadership or persons in positions of power. The citizens have played their part and landed on the wrong side of their expectations.

The game will unfold and do what it does and each person will respond as they deem appropriate until it is finished. There are some who believe they’ll escape supernaturally. Others relying on the government or the support of communities and strangers. Some who’ve always lived in tight knit groups and thrived. Others moving in that direction and creating the same. Some who focus on the issues in heated discussions and others who leave them behind.

There’s a growing consensus of people within America doing the same. We’re not getting upset, protesting or trying to repair the mess others have made. Let them and their supporters figure it out. We have more important priorities to attend to.

~bella

'March to Gaza' Group detained, beaten, and deported

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