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Police bundle George Galloway on plane from Egypt back to UK
Jan 9 2010 David Taylor
GEORGE GALLOWAY has been deported from Egypt and banned from ever returning to the country.
The Respect MP was bundled into a plane by plain-clothes police officers yesterday as he attempted to cross the border from Gaza.
Record columnist Galloway was leading a convoy taking humanitarian aid to the troubled Strip between Israel and Egypt.
The firebrand politician and colleague Ron McKay were arrested after returning to Egypt to aid seven members of the Viva Palestine convoy who had been detained.Back in London last night, defiant Galloway said: "It is a badge of honour to be deported by a dictatorship.
"I've been thrown out of better joints than that."
He said the aid workers whose arrest sparked the confrontation had been freed and were being allowed to leave the country.
And he vowed to continue organising aid convoys to Gaza. He said: "That means going though the Israeli naval blockade but that's been done before and will be done again."
Galloway's aid convoy of 550 people from 17 countries was caught up in violent scenes on Tuesday, which they blamed on "heavy-handed policing".
The group's spokeswoman said 55 convoy members were injured.
She added: "Mr Galloway and Turkish MPs struck a deal with Egyptian authorities, part of which was that the seven detainees were released without charge.
"On the enforced drive to Cairo, news came through of the imminent arrest of the seven but, when Mr Galloway demanded to return to Rafah, permission was denied."
Now Egypt has declared Galloway persona non grata, accusing him of incitement after he criticised Cairo for delaying the aid convoy.
This is not the Galloway's first brush with Egyptian authorities. He spent the night in a cell there in 2006 after an anti-war event.
Police bundle George Galloway on plane from Egypt back to UK
Jan 9 2010 David Taylor
GEORGE GALLOWAY has been deported from Egypt and banned from ever returning to the country.
The Respect MP was bundled into a plane by plain-clothes police officers yesterday as he attempted to cross the border from Gaza.
Record columnist Galloway was leading a convoy taking humanitarian aid to the troubled Strip between Israel and Egypt.
The firebrand politician and colleague Ron McKay were arrested after returning to Egypt to aid seven members of the Viva Palestine convoy who had been detained.Back in London last night, defiant Galloway said: "It is a badge of honour to be deported by a dictatorship.
"I've been thrown out of better joints than that."
He said the aid workers whose arrest sparked the confrontation had been freed and were being allowed to leave the country.
And he vowed to continue organising aid convoys to Gaza. He said: "That means going though the Israeli naval blockade but that's been done before and will be done again."
Galloway's aid convoy of 550 people from 17 countries was caught up in violent scenes on Tuesday, which they blamed on "heavy-handed policing".
The group's spokeswoman said 55 convoy members were injured.
She added: "Mr Galloway and Turkish MPs struck a deal with Egyptian authorities, part of which was that the seven detainees were released without charge.
"On the enforced drive to Cairo, news came through of the imminent arrest of the seven but, when Mr Galloway demanded to return to Rafah, permission was denied."
Now Egypt has declared Galloway persona non grata, accusing him of incitement after he criticised Cairo for delaying the aid convoy.
This is not the Galloway's first brush with Egyptian authorities. He spent the night in a cell there in 2006 after an anti-war event.
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