#5 VIVA PALESTINA SINN FEIN FOREIGN AFFAIRS SPOKESPERSON CALLS ON IRISH GOVT TO ENSURE SAFETY OF CONVOY

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For immediate release 6th January 2009:

Foreign Affairs Minister must contact Egyptian authorities to ensure
safety of Irish peace convoy members – Ó Snodaigh

Sinn Féin Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Aengus Ó Snodaigh TD has called on Minister Mícheál Martin to make contact with the Egyptian Government in order to ensure the safety of a number of Irish citizens who are part
of a peace convoy to Palestine which has been held up by Egyptian riot
police.

Egyptian authorities are refusing to allow approximately sixty aid
trucks into Gaza and approximately two thousand Egyptian riot police
have surrounded 450 members of the Viva Palestina peace convoy at the
Egyptian port of el-Arish. Ten members of the convoy have been injured,
four of them seriously.

Deputy Ó Snodaigh said today:

“Members of the Viva Palestina convoy are simply attempting to get much
needed medical supplies to the people of Gaza. The aggressive behaviour
of the Egyptian authorities towards this peace convoy is unacceptable.

“Foreign Affairs Minister Mícheál Martin must make urgent contact with
his Egyptian counterpart to ensure the safety of the Irish members of
this group.” ENDS

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