29-12-2009
Egyptian authorities, after warning peace activists of a closed border, have detained a Santa Cruz art teacher and her husband heading to a Gaza Strip rally scheduled for New Year's Eve.
Santa Cruz art teacher, on way to Gaza peace rally, reportedly detained in Egypt
Reageer (0)By Megha Satyanarayana
Kathleen Crocetti, an art teacher at Mission Hill Middle School, and Bill Lucas, both of Watsonville, cannot leave their hotel in el-Arish, some 30 miles from the Gaza border, without police escort or with their luggage, said Elizabeth Lucas, Crocetti's stepdaughter. Neither Crocetti nor her husband appear to be in any danger, nor have they been charged with any crime, Elizabeth Lucas said.
The couple left the U.S. before Christmas with the anti-war organization Code Pink en route to the hotly contested sliver of land between Egypt and Israel to deliver a mural made by Crocetti to a women's community center before the Gaza Freedom March. They were detained Sunday with their group of about 35 in el-Arish. Egyptian authorities also have detained other international groups trying to cross the Egypt-Gaza border for the pro-Palestinian rally, according to other news reports. Some of the detained would-be marchers in places other than el-Arish have reportedly resorted to hunger strikes over their blocked entry.
A U.S. State Department spokesman could not confirm the detention Monday evening.
In her Monday blog post at communityartactivism.blogspot.com, Crocetti said she doubted her mural, which she said
Advertisement
represented "hope and friendship" would be delivered, along with crafts made by her art class and other humanitarian supplies. The mural is 6 feet by 9 feet, and depicts a multiethnic group looking at the sky.
"She doesn't have a political agenda and doesn't support Hamas," Lucas said of her stepmother.
Hamas is the current Palestinian government in Gaza, which the U.S. calls a terrorist organization.
"She just wants to bring art to people who don't have a lot going for them right now," Lucas said.
The peace rally itself, however, the Gaza Freedom March, is in support of Palestinians, and commemorates an Israeli attack that happened in December 2008. Over several days, in response to what Israel called a Hamas-led assault, about 1,400 Palestinian civilians were reported killed or injured by Israeli military actions.
No matter what, Crocetti wrotein her blog, she will return to Santa Cruz in time for the start of school, next Monday.
Santa Cruz City Schools superintendent Gary Bloom said her trip was not a school-sanctioned activity, that "she's a very responsible teacher," and he expected her return by the start of the winter term.
Source
