This would be day three of my Cairo experience if had gone on my trip. I would be surrounded by people from all over the world, along with Egyptian police officers about now. I had planned on interacting with many of the over 1300 people from around the world, but I hadn't planned on the police officer part.

Now that everyone has arrived in Cairo, Egypt has stated that no one is getting into Gaza. There are checkpoints along the road to the border so that anyone attempting to get through will be stopped. Permits for events to be held in Cairo have been reneged on by the government.

So the marchers are not allowed near the border with Gaza, and they are blocked by police whenever they attempt any kind of event or demonstration in Cairo.

What is left to do?

Well, tourism is always an option.

Or people can respond in order to put pressure on the Egyptian government and to bring attention to the situation.

Some activists, including 85-year-old Holocaust survivor, Hedy Epstein, are participating in hunger strikes.


Hedy says that she has never done this before, so she doesn't know how her body will respond. Still, she will do "whatever it takes".

For her sake and for the sake of the marchers and the Palestinians, I hope her actions are effective.

We don't want to see the headline, Woman survives holocaust, but dies trying to prevent more ethnic killing.

Now, at the one year anniversary of the war on Gaza, I'm finally seeing some significant news coverage of the horrific conditions of that area. Thanks to those who trekked to Cairo with hopes of marching in solidarity with the people of Gaza, the world will no longer be able to pretend it doesn't know.