Gaza Youth Breaks Out

Why Fuck Egypt?

GYBO Team — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 01:43:01 +0000

A few days ago, seemingly out of the blue, Palestinian activists starting tweeting “F*** Egypt.” Many people started asking, Why f*** Egypt? What do you mean? Who are Palestinians, who’ve managed to be occupied by three warring forces—Israel, the PA and Hamas—to dare say such a thing to Egyptians?

We Palestinians had immense expectations in the Egyptian revolution. The outlook of the revolution made us think that a change is coming and the revolution will leave good traces on the Palestinian situation , specially the situation of Gaza. We even celebrated more than the Egyptians themselves when Mubarak stepped down (at least that’s what it felt like). Everyone in Gaza took to the streets dancing, singing, shooting in the air and fireworks were filling the sky of Gaza. We were so emotional, happy and thinking that this is the time to say good bye to the siege and welcome freedom.

Truth be told, some of us activists were telling Israel, Hamas and the PA to “f*** off” in the months before Egyptians gave the finger to Mubarak, as evidenced by the founding of the Gaza Youth Breaks Out movement. But with the Pharaoh gone we started working for a change inside Gaza to fit with the change in Egypt, to build a better situation for both sides. We and the Egyptians celebrated when Mubarak stepped down, but not because the most hated dictator was down, but because we were convinced that with him would end the inhumane policies he stood for: not merely his tight grip on the country, but also his bonds with Israel, which made Egypt responsible in good measure for the imprisonment of the people of Gaza. We were hopping that the revolution would bring the people of Egypt and Palestine together, that the Rafah crossing would be open 24 hours a day, that the treatment toward Palestinians by the Egyptian government would become more humane. We had lots of hopes and dreams; but the more time has passed, the more we’ve lost the hope, while all the dreams we built after the revolution are vanishing. Apparently we were totally wrong. In fact, the Egyptian policies never changed toward Palestinians with Mubarak stepping down. it’s getting much worse day by day, or change by change.

A couple of weeks ago, the picture of a young Egyptian woman went around the world. She was stripped and brutally beaten in front of cameras, but it wasn’t the brutality that made her a symbol for the current post Mubarak Egypt. She became a symbol because she is the living proof that Egypt without Mubarak is the same as Egypt with Mubarak. The men who beat her up and stripped her off were not only the ones that were celebrated for protecting the people against police violence during the revolution, they also were supposed to be the promise for a common struggle towards a better new government. A temporarily military rule it was supposed to be, giving time and power to the people to build up a democratic system. But while the pictures of military brutality go around the world, there is a much quieter and less prominent proof that the new regime is betraying the people’s hope in it. If you want to find out what that is, be a Palestinian. Be a Palestinian in Gaza, or be one in Egypt. You will feel it, notice it, and experience it every day, in your every move.

As a Palestinian, you are not allowed to go in certain areas since its considered as a tourism place for Israelis. For a Palestinian getting into southern sinai areas is forbidden and if a Palestinian managed to tour these areas with a special permission, he’ll be watched by the Egyptian intelligence 24 hours a day. As a Palestinian, you are not allowed to stay in Egypt more than 72 hours unless you are a student or an employer otherwise, your stay will be considered illegal. As a Palestinian, you feel the humiliation when you go to the governmental organization and you see the special treatment toward westerners and you’re considered as a threat to the Egyptian security.

As a Palestinian, I want a successful Egyptian revolution and I want to feel the positive change in Gaza.

Egypt and Palestine…one people and one revolution

GYBO Team — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 22:17:28 +0000

Samah Ahmed, Palestinian journalist from Gaza, and three other Italian citizens supporting Palestine were arrested by the Egyptian Supreme Council of the Armed Forces SCAF on 26^th November, 2011 in Cairo. The Egyptian security forces claim that they burned some palm trees belonging to one of the luxury hotels in Egypt. The media immediately started dealing with the detainees as if they were convicted with charges of sabotage against Egypt.

This arrest incident is not the first of its kind against Palestinians of Gaza while in Egyptian territory, or during travel through Rafah crossing, Gaza’s only outlet to the world. We – Palestinian activists- see this incident as the embodiment of the repressive mentality of security apparatus that control the actions of the security of the Egyptian regime against the Palestinians of Gaza. These same authorities continue to close Rafah in the face of Palestinians, preventing their passage to Egypt with the exception of specific cases.

Despite the repeated statements issued by Egyptian authorities following the revolution of January 25 declaring their intention to fully open the crossing, their policy of collusion continues to comply with the Israeli interests that maintain a tight siege on more than a million and a half Palestinians in Gaza.

The Military Council and its security apparatus allegedly accuse the Egyptians of implementing American and Israeli agendas. Whereas their policy of political hypocrisy forgets the blood of five Egyptian soldiers killed on the hands of Israel, contentedly accepts an apology from their murderers, and continues pumping gas to Israel at the cheapest rate. On the day the repressive security apparatus was killing and eye-snipping Egyptian revolutionaries, the Egyptian Minister of Foreign Affairs welcomed back the Ambassador of Israel, who was expelled by the Egyptian people!

This Council contributes to the siege of Gaza to satisfy the Israel- U.S. alliance, and considers the mere entry of Palestinians of Gaza to Egypt a security threat and accordingly treats them at best as suspects. Not once did the security restrictions ever stop advancing on the Palestinians, noting that the Palestinian people did not, do not, and will not constitute a threat in any way to Egypt. The only real danger is the conditional aid from the vaunted democracy allies to militarizing the Egyptian regime.

In this light, we, Palestinian activists, demand the following:

The immediate lifting of the restrictions and forms of inhumane treatment of Palestinians in Egypt under the banner of “security”.
The immediate end of the siege on the Gaza Strip and the full opening of Rafah crossing for Palestinians without any security restrictions and complications.
The full support of the Egyptian revolution, respecting Egyptians’ demands and their right to self-determination and the governing regime they choose.

Down with the security system of repression and long live the Egyptian revolution!

GYBO is recording a rap song for the Arab revolutions in Libya, Tunisia, Egypt and Gaza

GYBO Team — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 18:00:02 +0000

Who Are We?
We are a group of Palestinian youth effected by the political psychological economic, and most of all social siege imposed on Gaza Strip, decided to articulate the resultant anger and frustration through Hip Hop music. We felt that it is our responsibility to introduce a unique voice that promotes peace and understanding to everyone. As rappers we stand to correct a common misconception among Palestinian youth that our music is nothing but mere imitation of western cultures. Being subject to blind generalizations, has strengthened our well to break out the silence and indifference surrounding us.
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Why Do We Ask For Your Help?
What makes us special is our acceptance of different culture “hip hop” as a mean to communicate with the world through the language of love and peace “music”
Second we are using two languages, Arabic and English, in order to confirm the universality of our message, our words are simple, clear cut for everyone to understand and relate to..
……………………………………………………………

Projects Idea:
A musical track that can open the eyes of the Arab world to realize what kind of change and tolerance the Arab spring has brought to this new generation. this track promotes a peaceful approach towards dealing with our problems in a modern way, in a dynamic world.
It serves to document the human rights violations which took place during the peaceful demonstrations all over the Arab world. it also calls for youth to get out and express themselves in peaceful manners despite prosecution. The track envisions Arab youth playing an important role in the political and social areas across the region.

Please donate whatever you can. We thank you in advance. Peace be upon you.

If you can help Please send us an email at freegazayouth@hotmail.com

FREE ABU YAZAN NOW!!!!

GYBO Team — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 03:03:19 +0000

On August 14th 2011 Abu Yazan, a young political activist from Gaza Youth
Breaks Out (GYBO) has been arrested by the Hamas authority. After
returning from a trip to France, where he was invited to hold talks about
the current situation of the besieged Gaza Strip, he has been called in
two times for questioning, until he was finally arrested today.

GYBO is a peaceful Palestinian youth movement in Gaza, which gained
international attention after publishing a Manifesto in January. Abu Yazan
is a leading voice in the movement that is representing a growing number
of Gazan youth. The group raises, mainly through new social media like
facebook, awareness about the situation under siege for young people in
Gaza, and recently called for unity among the Palestinian factions with
the aim to target the illegal Israeli occupation.

Abu Yazan regularly takes part in demonstrations against the illegal
Israeli occupation in Beit Hanoun, northern Gaza.

No reasons for his arrest was given up to this time. He also was
denied visits by his family and a lawyer. We call on the authorities to
abide by the law.

Please call:
Ayman Tahah, spokesman for Hamas, 00972599480580 and/or
Gazi Hamad 00972599601779, to ask for Abu Yazans whereabouts and
demand his urgent release: WE NEED ALL OF YOU TO HELP!!!!

For more information:
AbuGhassan, 00972599842798
or gaza@riseup.net

PLEASE, CLOSE RAFAH CROSSING

GYBO Team — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 16:47:58 +0000

Many people consider that traveling is a cool thing, easy to go from a place to any other one in the world, that all you need to do is set a date for your travel, then book your flight through a phone call or using the internet…
I think that’s what most people do, right?

Question is; is it the same case for the Palestinians living in Gaza? Can they travel easily? Can they just book a flight and leave? Is it possible for them to go to Egypt without any restrictions? Is it even possible to SET a date?

Let me sequence what you need to do if you want to travel from Gaza to anywhere else;
1- You have to go the registration office in Gaza at least 3 months before the date you wish to travel on. For example, if you want to travel on October, you have to register on July. Why? Because the Great Pharaohs allow only 300 people to leave daily and the number of people wishing to leave for several reasons is huge, so there is no empty place for you before October.
2- After waiting for 3 months, you go to Rafah gate. There, you would be really really really really really really lucky if you made it in your first try; people usually go 3 or 4 days in a raw, hoping to get in and not everyone crosses in the end as thousands are waiting for their turn.
3- If you made it and crossed the gate, you’ll have to wait in the Palestinian hall for at least 2 hours until you get your passport stamped.
4- Then you get in the bus and wait for some more.
5- Then you cross to the Egyptian hall and wait for them to call your name and stamp your passport. But guess what? They don’t stamp all the passports they receive. Almost 50 out of every 300 people will be returned to Gaza; depends on the mood of the person stamping the passport.

Some witnesses
A. Ruhmi is married to an Egyptian and wanted to go see his wife who was about to have her first baby. He registered, made it to the Palestinian hall, got in the bus then to the Egyptian hall. That’s when they told him to go back to Gaza. And when he asked them about the reason, they said that he was on the black list. He started explaining them that he used to live in Egypt and is not affiliated with any political movement and has never carried a gun in his life. They got him in the bus by force and sent him back to Gaza, without him being able to see his wife.

N. Matter is a student at an Australian university; she booked her flight for the 14th of July and registered to cross on the 11th of July. She couldn’t make it on the 1st, 2nd and 3rd attempts. She spent days going to the gate and coming back and hours waiting in the sun. When she finally managed to cross, it was too late for her to catch her flight, so she had to pay again for a plane ticket.

Traveling became a fiction and talking about it might make you look crazy in front of other people. Even though it’s a legitimate right, traveling is never for fun and entertainment for Palestinians from Gaza; the only reasons that make them seek to leave Gaza is a treatment, work or study – most of the time, it’s for humanitarian and urgent needs.

Some questions came to my mind while writing this; where are the Egyptian revolutionists? Why is all this torture for the people of Gaza? How do Egyptians justify banning thousands of people from traveling for basic needs? Why do children and elders have to wait for hours, days and sometimes weeks in the sun for their turn to come? Why do patients have to suffer more at Rafah gate?

Please close this gate… we don’t want it. We would be better without Rafah crossing; at least we wouldn’t think about it!

Abu Yazan

The Mystery

GYBO Team — Sat, 16 Jul 2011 16:54:15 +0000

The song is performed by the newly created GYBO rap team and it’s dedicated to all the freedom fighters world wide, to all those who raised the palestinian flag to face zionism and specially to the passengers of the flotilla1, flotila2, flytilla, viva palestina convoys, road to hope convoy, Africa to Gaza, Asia to gaza and to our friends in the vik2gaza convoy.

GYBO TEAM

We’re using non-violence; STOP SHOOTING

GYBO Team — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 05:19:05 +0000

Take a few minutes of your time …. watch….rethink and question the INDIFEERENCE
Peaceful demonstrations shot at by the Israeli occupation, and the world stands still!!!!!!!!
With your solidarity we break the silence ,
Join us and be part exposing the Israeli propaganda
!!!

A Naksa Inside Another!

GYBO Team — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 05:57:53 +0000

As part of our ongoing activities to fight the illegal occupation, we along with other youth groups, marched to erez crossing in commemoration of Naksa day “1967 6-day war”. Around 12 pm, ISM activists along with 10s of Palestinians gathered in beit hannon to march straight to the buffer zones. After continuous threats by the local government, protesters set up a tent 1 km away from the wall of shame. At 1 pm, Palestinian Police dispersed crowds of people who tried to join in with our protest. Protesters were violently stuffed in police cars, shouted at and attacked, on the charge of commemorating a day once thought of as a spark for any Arab revolution. We unequivocally condemn such organized abuse and call for authorities to start for once, a dependent investigation. Relatively, the ministry of interior denied permission of a protest in solidarity with Palestinian detainees, that was to take place in Gaza city at 11 am. They systematic violation of our right to protest comes after Hamas and fateh signed a reconciliation deal in Cairo last month. Since then, nothing has changed on the ground. Cracking down of protesters has become a sport for Police personal in Gaza. Our struggle continues despite setbacks and downfalls, our voice have torn down the wall of indifference, and bias.

witnesses speak about the real circumstances at Rafah crossing

GYBO Team — Sun, 05 Jun 2011 05:58:33 +0000

The media covered the statement of opening Rafah passage Permanently ; Yesterday, we went to observe what’s happening at the entrance of Rafah and we were shocked with what we’ve witnessed!
Please watch the video to realize the truth of the circumstances at Rafah crossing.

With love and respect from the bottom of my heart to my Italian Family

GYBO Team — Sat, 21 May 2011 12:27:51 +0000

Since the day I heard about the Italian convoy that is coming to Gaza I was longing to meet Vitorrio’s friends, and dreaming of the day they would arrive in Gaza. The 12th of May was the arrival day. It was a long day because some friends and I had to wait for the convoy in their apartment in Gaza as we did not have permission to welcome them at the Rafah crossing or even to invite them to our homes.

Words can not express how happy I was when I met those great people. They are one of my great sources of inspiration. Their love to Gaza is just wonderful – they taught me how to love my land, to stick by my principles, to fight longer seeking freedom and to stay stronger: “stay human”.

Vittorio’s folk, as I like to call them, are brave enough to visit Gaza and show the whole world that they are not afraid to come to the place where their friend was kidnapped and murdered. Their love for Palestine and Gaza is just unbelievable – they would sacrifice their souls for the sake of any of us!

This was illustrated when we were at Erez crossing and all of them wanted to go further and further in order to witness and experience the atmosphere that most of the Palestinians have to suffer. Besides, they wanted to experience what Vittorio used to do with many of the ISM members in Gaza: such as the farming actions; going to the buffer zone areas; supporting many of the farmers and fishermen; and participating in many of the demos that were held to raise awareness of the human rights of the Palestinians.

One of the things that I loved most about those beautiful Italian souls is that they appreciated the instructions of our religion, traditions and culture. They did not want to cause us any kind of difficulty; they cared a lot about us and wanted to do anything to make us feel equal. In addition to that, I felt that they have clear, pure, modest and charming characters. Each one of them has a special thing about their character.

The moment when we had to say goodbye was so emotional that none of us could hold back our tears. Men cried in front of women and we tried to make it easier by comforting each other – we promised that we would all meet again soon. I was looking at their busses as if I was longing to go back home with them. I really felt I was Italian and they had become Palestinians!

This is my message to all the convoy members who shared much pain, sorrow, tears, joy, happiness and laughter with us,

“Since the day you arrived here my life has changed because you guys are amazing, and the moment of saying goodbye was so emotional – filled with love, respect and hope. You guys are astonishing and unforgettable just like Vittorio. I will never forget you! We will meet again inshAllah. Much respect and love to all of you my new Italian friends.”

Rewa’ Ahmed