8 Photos of Zaskia Adya Mecca to Ratna Galih Departing to Egypt to Join 'Global March to Gaza', Ending Up Surrounded by Intel and Police

Zaskia recounted that she and her group could not officially be part of the Indonesian delegation because registration for representatives from Indonesia had already closed. To still participate in the long march activities, they decided to join through the Malaysian contingent.

Upon arriving in Cairo, they immediately felt an atmosphere different from their expectations. At the airport, Zaskia witnessed firsthand how participants from other countries, especially Europe, were treated harshly with deportation and even detention by the Egyptian authorities.

Although Zaskia and her team managed to pass through immigration checks without significant obstacles, tension was still palpable. Upon arriving at their accommodation, the police began recording their identities through their passports and engaged in serious conversations with the hotel staff, creating discomfort from the very beginning of their arrival.

The next day, the organizing committee announced that negotiations with the Egyptian authorities had failed to reach an agreement. As a result, all participants of the long march were declared to be in an illegal position, meaning the police had the authority to arrest anyone who remained involved.

At around seven in the morning, three police cars arrived at the hotel and conducted a sweep. Four foreign participants were taken into the police car, while Zaskia's entourage faced immense pressure with the presence of around twenty officers, including intelligence and detention vehicles, surrounding their bus.

Seeing the increasingly unsafe situation, they decided to move to a five-star hotel in the hope that the security level there could limit access for the authorities and prevent open arrests. However, that hope did not come to fruition.

Intelligence officers continued to follow them openly, and the entire hotel staff was summoned by the police to receive specific instructions, creating an atmosphere of suspicion towards the entourage.

In short, Zaskia's group could not participate in the long march. According to her, only 30 percent of the participants eventually took part. Nevertheless, Zaskia still understands the stance of the Egyptian government, which is concerned about the possibility of infiltrators in the long march, hence the tight security.