New Brunswicker Returns From Egypt Following Crackdown On March To Gaza

A New Brunswick man who travelled to Egypt to join the Global March to Gaza was deported over the weekend, amid a widespread crackdown by Egyptian authorities on international Palestine solidarity activists.

Jeff Houlahan, a biology professor at the University of New Brunswick, told the NB Media Co-op that he was placed on a plane back to Canada alongside four other activists. He returned home by Sunday night (Atlantic time).

Houlahan was one of thousands of people from around the world who intended to march approximately 50 kilometres from the northern Sinai city of Al-Arish to Egypt’s Rafah border crossing—the only crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip not controlled by Israel. The march was organized to call for the opening of Rafah to allow the flow of international humanitarian aid into Gaza.

Over the weekend, as the march was scheduled to begin, Egyptian authorities reportedly detained and deported dozens of activists, citing security concerns.

Houlahan—who has been outspoken in criticizing the University of New Brunswick’s response to pro-Palestine activism on campus—said he was transported to the airport in a “locked-down prison bus,” though not handcuffed. Upon arrival, he was held in a detention cell at the airport for four or five hours before being deported.

He also noted that he had been detained with other Canadian activists, including Manuel Tapial, the lead coordinator of the Canadian delegation. Tapial was previously part of the 2010 Freedom Flotilla, a humanitarian mission to Gaza that was met with deadly force by Israeli marines.

Following his arrest this past weekend, Tapial’s whereabouts were unknown for more than 24 hours, raising concern among supporters. By Monday morning (Atlantic time), it was confirmed that Tapial had been deported after being questioned by Egyptian authorities and was en route back to Canada.

“There were witnesses to [Tapial’s] arrest, and their phones were confiscated and wiped clean,” the group World Beyond War Canada posted on Instagram Saturday.

Activists across the country urged supporters to contact the Canadian embassy in Cairo to ensure the safety and release of Tapial and other detained marchers.

Tapial’s wife was also deported by Saturday, according to Houlahan. In messages sent to the NB Media Co-op, he described a tense situation: “About 10 of us at the Amin Hotel were also detained at the hotel. Several people had their phones taken, then returned. We suspect they have installed new SIM cards with spyware.”

Organizers had previously told CBC News that more than 40 Canadian activists in Egypt had been detained and had their passports confiscated.

Thousands were expected to participate in the march from Al-Arish to the Gaza border, walking in the evenings and at night to avoid the intense daytime heat, and camping in tents along the route.

Global Affairs Canada currently advises travellers to “avoid all travel” to most of Egypt’s Northern Sinai region due to ongoing military operations and threats of militant attacks.

The protest action comes as the humanitarian crisis in Gaza continues to worsen. The UN has warned of a looming famine, and local health authorities in Gaza reported that at least 41 Palestinians were killed by Israeli strikes on Sunday, according to Reuters. Among the dead were at least five people near aid distribution sites operated by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a group backed by American and Israeli interests.

The escalation came just days after Israel launched strikes on Iran, triggering a deadly exchange between the two countries and further overshadowing the deepening crisis in Gaza.

David Gordon Koch is a journalist with the NB Media Co-op. This reporting was made possible in part by the Government of Canada, administered by the Canadian Association of Community Television Stations and Users (CACTUS).