by Katie Alston

A Kent student held under house arrest by armed police has spoken of her ordeal.

Charlotte Dunne, 23, a third year social policy student at the University of Kent at Canterbury, travelled to Egypt to join the Gaza Freedom March on December 23.

Alongside more than 1,400 campaigners from 43 countries, London-born Charlotte wanted to protest against ill treatment of Palestinians, but things did not go as planned.

She said: "Within 24 hours of being in Cairo, organisers told us things were looking bleak for us reaching the Rafah boarder and permission to travel to the Gaza Strip was being refused.

"The aim was to only use Egypt as a channel to get to Gaza and I hadn’t anticipated spending my whole time in Egypt, financially or emotionally.

"We were warned, if we met in groups larger than six, we would be arrested or deported. From then on police were everywhere.

"We held a secret meeting and decided to make our way to the border in any way possible."

Charlotte joined a group of seven heading to Al Arish, 40 miles away from Rafah, but when they arrived, armed police surrounded them in a hotel and wouldn’t let them leave for 24 hours.

She said: "The language barrier meant communication was through force and guns were pointed at our heads. I was stopped from going to the shop and questioned when I tried to go to the toilet.

"We eventually forced ourselves out, jumping across roof tops. It was like something from a film.

"I didn’t feel scared, just frustrated.

"Although we continued to be followed, gradually we were given more freedom. They knew our every movement and we believe our phones were bugged.

"When we managed to protest in town, I was hit in the face, they manhandled me and smashed my camera.

"It was then I thought it was time to step back. I was getting a little too used to the situation."

On January 5, after 85 internationals were allowed to carry out a peaceful march through the Rafah border, Charlotte was allowed to travel to Cairo under police escort.

She then flew back to England.

Charlotte added: "I want to go back and continue campaigning to get the Palestinian and Israeli experiences out into public.

"I can’t turn my back on the issue."