Convoy in historic border crossing (From Asian Image)

Convoy in historic border crossing

9:58am Monday 23rd February 2009

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The Viva Palestina convoy has completed half of the 5,000 mile journey they set out on nine days ago.

The border between Algeria and Morocco, which has been closed for 15 years since an incident in Marrakech in 1994, was specially opened to allow the convoy through on Saturday.

Everywhere the convoy has travelled in Morocco and Algeria, people have turned out in their thousands to cheer it on.

So far in Alergia they have received all their fuel free, courtesy of the government or other well-wishers. In both Morocco and in Algeria, food has also been provided by the government or local people supporting the convoy.

The journey has not been without its mishaps and its setbacks. The worst of these was the arrest and detention of nine people bound for the convoy on the M65 a day before the convoy left Hyde Park.

All have now been released without charge and Respect MP George Galloway, who is heading up the convoy, has demanded an inquiry.

Many of those detained will be joining the convoy in Tunis.

The convoy is now in Algiers and will then travel across Tunisia and into Libya. A large Libyan charity will be joining the aid convoy in Tripoli and we are expecting many more to join when the convoy reaches Cairo.

A convoy from Glasgow set off on Saturday to travel across Europe before entering Egypt to link up with Viva Palestina in Cairo.

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