What: Louisa Morgantini, Walden Bello, Alice Walker, the South African delegation, and others give a press release at the United Nations building

When: at 1 PM Monday December 28 in front of the United Nations building, at 1191 Corniche El Nil, World Trade Centre, Cairo.

Former Vice president of the European Parliament Louisa Morgantini, Filipino Senator and president of the Transnational Institute Walden Bello, American novelist Alice Walker, Ronnie Kasrils, a former Jewish South African Minister of Intelligence and 85-year-old Holocaust survivor Hedy Epstein will give a press conference at the United Nations building in Cairo, at the World Trade Centre. They will give a press conference in order to highlight the contours of the humanitarian disaster in Gaza, on behalf of the Gaza Freedom March. The Gaza Freedom March is an international coalition of 1400 delegates from over 40 countries: the United States, France, Italy, Spain, Australia, Brazil, Venezuela, South Africa, and dozens of other countries, attempting to lift the blockade of the Gaza strip. The delegation’s mission to Gaza is stalled in Cairo because the Egyptian government has refused to give them permission to proceed to Gaza, citing security concerns. Novelist Alice Walker says that the Gaza Freedom March “will press on to Gaza.” Filipino Senator Walden Bello agrees, saying, “We’ll get to Gaza, come hell or high water.”

85-year old Hedy Epstein will announce the beginning of a hunger strike today, in protest of the Egyptian government’s refusal to allow the delegations to proceed on their mission to Gaza and to carry out their solidarity demonstration.