Only a relatively small number of pro-Palestine activists seeking to commemorate the Nakba have arrived at the Rafah border crossing linking Egypt and Gaza, after the police and army blocked the main road leading to the town.
The activists said they had managed to reach Rafah by taking an alternative – and longer – route from Arish. They said Sinai residents gave them and reporters directions.
On its official Facebook page, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry had urged citizens not to respond to calls for a march to Palestine, saying the current critical conditions in Egypt should be considered.
Army patrols prevented activists from reaching the Rafah border on Friday and Saturday. The army also dispersed a protest before the Israeli Embassy on Friday by firing in the air.
Activists said security forces arrested a number of marchers, while another group managed to return to Arish, where they held a sit-in at the Refaie Mosque.
A military source in Port Said, meanwhile, said the army is intensifying efforts to prevent attempts by activists to infiltrate Sinai via Port Said. He added that ferries in Port Said only carry people with identity cards saying they are Sinai residents.
Translated from the Arabic Edition
