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Egypt anti-government protests grow

Watched an hour of footage from Alexandria last night off Al Jazeera and boy it looked fucking hairy out there - the security forces were firing crazy amounts of gas and what appeared to be live rounds. Seriously frightening and yet the people kept coming back at them - they've got some real bottle and it makes me feel a bit embarrassed the way some people over here worry if the daily mail will be offended by our red and black flags.
 
Interesting to see that it's football lads that Jeremy Bowen was near to who were taking on plod and the army. Most likely Al Ahly or Zamalek.
 
Still dunno what the regime are playing at exactly.

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2011/11/2011112318264965551.html

The ceasefire in Cairo was reportedly negotiated by religious scholars from al-Azhar University, the historical seat of Sunni theology, after Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayyeb, the grand imam of al-Azhar, called on the riot police to halt their attacks on protesters.
The military deployed three armoured personnel carriers to Mohamed Mahmoud Street and positioned soldiers between the riot police and protesters, but the truce ended within an hour in a hail of gas.
Click to expand...
 
this is a good shot:

s_e21_33916555.jpg
 
SCAF had a press conference where they tried to make the right noises, apologised but with the usual mix of bullshit. Also offered journalists tea & cakes. Still trying to go ahead with elections as scheduled, said something about the army helping out with security.

Apparently the army have also setup a field hospital in Tahrir square, which caused the usual mix of suspicions.
 
The press conference is ongoing but I missed the bit that AJ English were translating, so Im going by whats said on twitter. It sounds like SCAF are trying to differentiate the people who have been fighting on the front-line from the people in the main bit of Tahrir square. There is a little bit of truth to this in some senses, probably most obvious yesterday during 'ceasefire' attempts, but of course SCAF would like to use this to justify all the force used, and to split people.

There are reports that physical barriers between the security forces and protesters have been heavily reinforced by the army today.
 
Worth keeping an eye on Tunisia right now as well:

TUNIS (Reuters) - Tunisian security forces fired into the air to try to disperse more than 3,000 protesters who were preparing to attack a government building in the provincial town of Kasserine On Wednesday, witnesses said.

The protesters took to the streets because they felt the country's new authorities had failed to recognise local people's contribution to a revolution earlier this year which inspired the "Arab Spring" uprisings.
Click to expand...
 
Translation of a new SCAF communique via a twitter user:

FarahSaafan Farah Saafan

SCAF 85th Msg: Egypt's going through a turning point of its revo & we all must join hands 2 prohibit country from falling into pit of chaos
Ramifications of stand off btwn protesters & those who lurk btwn them & security are of extreme danger esp threatening of MOI

Possible threats on MOI security is a grave danger on general state of security on the long term.

We ask of honorable citizens 2 cooperate in separating protesters/ MOI security & joining Armed Forces in securing citizens..

We ask of honorable citizens 2 join Armed Forces in securing citizens, vital facilities & facilitating transfer of injured.

We ask honorable citizens & youth revolutionaries 2 be alert & observe any1 in gatherings/arrest any1 u suspect w/out hurting

Arrest anyone you suspect without hurting them and hand them over to specialized entity.

We ask u not 2 allow any1 to be on tops of bldgs around protest area/arrest any1 on them/protect residents of bldgs..

Arrest anyone who would be on top of bldgs surrounding protest area incase they attack protesters and security.

We assure u of constantly keeping u updated w/situation & ask of u not to fall 4 rumors & insist on finding out the truth.

We must all be aware that Armed Forces hasn't/wont ever disappoint you. Intention is 2 secure Egypt & maintain stability.
 
Last images I saw from the area suggested most people had gotten off of the wall. Gotta go to work now, but I leave you with a link to the depressing story from prominent Egyptian-US citizen activist Mona Eltahawy who was arrested, assaulted & sexually assaulted.

https://twitter.com/#!/monaeltahawy
 
Some tweets suggest that Tahrir has changed, that attacks on foreigners, women and journalists are happening with increased frequency. Various theories about this are bandied around, with talk of infiltration, thugs and/or the MB being to blame. Its impossible for me to judge, but as a French female journalist was attacked earlier I have no reason to doubt that an uglier dimension has arisen once more. We have seen this before.

There is also a story doing the rounds in arabic to do with conflict & rogue division within the security forces, but I can't get a good enough translation or decent evidence for this, and this is one of a number of types of rumours that we might expect to be imagined without necessarily having any foothold in reality (a variation on the 'conflict between police and army' rumour which doesn't tend to hold up to much scrutiny). But as factions likely exist, and the report appeared to name names, and we could expect some games and tensions as some former high-level people within the security establishment are facing some form of 'justice' after the Jan/Feb events, I cannot rule it out either.
 
The US response:

US response to Tahrir Square crackdown angers Egyptians

The US attempt to reposition itself as a supporter of democracy and human rights in the Middle East is being undermined by a growing Egyptian perception that Washington will back Egypt's military junta unreservedly despite its increasing repressiveness.

That perception was reinforced yesterday, when a White House statement on the clashes between protesters and security forces appeared to place the blame equally on both sides for violence that has killed at least 29 protesters since Saturday.

White House spokesman Jay Carney said the US was "deeply concerned" about the violence and "tragic loss of life" and called for "restraint on all sides, so that Egyptians can move forward together to forge a strong and united Egypt.”

http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Midd...n-angers-Egyptians-VIDEO#.TsvAM8GEpao.twitter
 
Well here comes another delicate moment in the struggle. As the following from AJE's liveblog shows, the MB have stuck to their stance of not supporting the protesters this time.

http://blogs.aljazeera.net/liveblog/Egypt

Middle East analyst Joseph Kechichian, speaking to Al Jazeera this morning, said he believed the Muslim Brotherhood had made a "tactical mistake of the grandest proportions" by "siding with the military against the protesters" in Tahrir Square.
Though the Brotherhood has been riven by internal divisions on the issue, it has publicly declared it will not participate in the demonstrations and today has scheduled a separate, unrelated march connected to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, at the same time that activists have called for another "million-man march" in Cairo.
The Brotherhood, like the military, wants parliament elections held on time on Monday. Its political wing, the Freedom and Justice Party, is widely predicted to win a large plurality or majority of the lower house.
The Brotherhood did issue a statement on Thursday, saying: "Had we been out to secure our own interests and reap popularity on the political street, going down to Tahrir Square would have been just the way to do that. But we refrained from rash action."
Click to expand...
 
Rumours of MB who support the protest planning to march to tahir later. The different generational responses they've been trying to keep a lid on over the last year may be coming to the fore at a very important time.
 
Muslim Brotherhood out of step again, having turned up late to the revolution in feburary and now cosying up to the military whilst people are shot in the streets.
So much for the 'Islamic takeover'.
 
Latest from RT states tens of thousands are in Tahrir square. There are expections of hundreds of thousands joining them after Friday prayers. This, to mark the rallying call for one million to march to the square. There's reports too of a march to take place by those defending the status quo. Autopsy reports on around 20 of the dead state a number were killed with a single shot to the head. The trajectory of the bullets indicate they were shot from above, so very likely police and military snipers have been used.
 
An army Captain and a Major being interviewed now on Press TV, who are declaring their support for the revolutionaries. Military council to step down within a week? How many others in the military hold these sentiments?
 
Quite a few people seem to be wearing eye patches or stickers over an eye in reference to those who were blinded when things kicked off again a week ago.

Someone pretty young was killed by a CSF vehicle at the protests outside the cabinet office (or whatever its actually called) early today. Apparently SCAF have apologised for this 'accident'.

Some people on twitter figured that the new PM was also PM when the hated head of the interior ministry who was ousted earlier this year first got his job, so they aren't too amused by that.
 
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