Why we're here

Today is the anniversary of the Israeli onslaught on Gaza, a day I will remember forever. I awoke to the sound of crying, and my first thoughts were that a family member or close friend had died. It was effectively worse. My family watched the pictures on Aljazeera, of bodies of tens of police recruits, killed without warning during their graduation ceremony. The next 20 days each held their own horrors.

One year one from that day, the convoy is still here in Aqaba. We've spent our third night here and it looks like it will turn into a prolonged situation. Although Aqaba is a great little town, that's not why we're here. Gaza is the reason we're here, and the sooner we get through the better.

While the first day in Aqaba was an opportunity to get some much needed rest after 4000 miles on the road, the second was one of patience, holding out in hope of news. Today has seen us take action - we held a large demonstration on one of the main roundabouts in Aqaba in order to get maximum exposure, and around 15 of us have started a hunger strike (I'm not yet one of them, but am thinking of joining). The response to the demo was great - hundreds of vehicle horns and high-fives from excited locals. In fact it was so great that the police had enough, and blocked the roundabout to traffic.

The convoy is the big story in town - we're on the front page of the Jordanian national newspapers and are getting daily coverage on Aljazeera and Press TV, among others. Everyone in town is doing all they can to help us, from offering free taxi rides to free nights in very decent hotels.

It seems the demonstration is moving, so I have to run and join them. Another update will follow soon - there will be an announcement at 5pm and we're told that there will be news, though we know now to take this with a pinch of salt. If there is any I will blog it here.