Oh dear, Egypt is going south. | INFJ Forum

Oh dear, Egypt is going south.

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http://english.aljazeera.net/watch_now/

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-12303564

http://www.voanews.com/english/news/Internet-Shut-Down-as-Egypt-Braces-for-Huge-Protests-114786364.html

bbc said:
Analysis

Rupert Wingfield-Hayes
BBC News, Suez
There's now a full-scale confrontation going on in the centre of Suez between riot police and several thousand protesters who've gathered again on the streets in the middle of the city. The Egyptian government has done everything it can to try to stop these protests from taking place again today.

There's no internet today in Egypt, the mobile phones here in Suez has been completely cut off, and in the state-run mosques here, the state imams told their congregations at Friday prayers not to go out into the streets again, but it hasn't worked.

Immediately Friday prayers were over at lunchtime today large crowds started to gather: people coming out of the mosques immediately going onto the streets and starting to protest. At least 3,000 people gathered on the street in front of me.

Initially the protests here were completely peaceful, people calling for the government of Hosni Mubarak to step down, and for new elections. But about an hour later, riot police started to respond with tear gas and then the crowd started to throw stones.

They've attacked a police riot van, taken it over, and it's now been completely set ablaze. There's been a series of large explosions, as ammunition and tear gas grenades inside the vehicle have been going off.

bbc said:
Anti-government protests are intensifying across Egypt, as police clash with demonstrators in several cities demanding the resignation of President Hosni Mubarak.

A protester in Suez was killed in clashes with police, witnesses said.

In Cairo, police used tear gas and water cannons to disperse the crowds, who responded by throwing stones.

Live TV pictures from Cairo showed what appeared to be army vehicles on the streets.

In one location, an army vehicle appeared to go into reverse when it was surrounded by protesters who raised their fists in celebration.

Cairo, Alexandria and Suez have been placed under curfew effective from 1800 to 0700 local time (1600 to 0500 GMT). State television said President Hosni Mubarak had decreed the curfew to stop riots, lawlessness and attacks on property.

bbc said:
Water cannon
Internet and phone services - both mobile and landline - have been severely disrupted, although protesters are using proxies to work around the restrictions.

Reports say Egyptian opposition figure Mohamed ElBaradei has been placed under house arrest. Earlier, he was soaked by water cannon and surrounded by police as he joined protesters on the streets of Cairo.

At least eight people have been killed and dozens injured since the protests against unemployment, corruption and rising prices began on Tuesday. Up to 1,000 people have been arrested.

The unrest follows an uprising in Tunisia two weeks ago, in which President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali was toppled after 23 years in power.

After Friday prayers, tens of thousands of people joined protests in Cairo and other cities to demand the end of Mr Mubarak's 30-year rule.

They shouted "down, down with Mubarak" and "the people want the regime to fall".

At several locations, riot police responded by firing rubber bullets and tear gas, and by using water cannon. BBC Arabic reporter Assad Sawey, in Cairo, said he was arrested and beaten by plainclothes policemen.

"They took my camera away and when they arrested me, they started beating me with steel bars, the ones used here for slaughtering animals," he said.

The police wanted to take him to a state-run hospital, he said, but he refused to go as the hospital is notorious for handing patients back to police once they have been treated.

'Fear barrier'

Reuters news agency said protesters had also gathered outside al-Azhar mosque, and near one of the presidential residences in the capital.

The French government said it had received reports that four French journalists covering the protests in Cairo had been arrested. They were later released.

The French government said it had received reports that four French journalists covering the protests in Cairo had been arrested. They were later released.


BBC journalist Assad Sawey was arrested and beaten by 'brutal' police
There were also reports of clashes between protesters and police in Alexandria, Mansoura and Aswan, as well as Minya and Assiut south of Cairo, and al-Arish in the Sinai peninsula.

In anticipation of the unrest, riot police were deployed around the capital, at the entrances to bridges across the River Nile, at Tahrir Square - the scene of protests earlier this week - and other key intersections.

Friday's rallies in Egypt were expected to be the biggest so far, with people urged via internet sites to join after attending prayers.

The organisers called on people to come out in force, stressing that the religion of protesters was not relevant.

Egyptian film-maker Ahmed Rasheed, who was planning to take part in Friday's demonstrations, said people no longer feared arrest.

"We have broken this fear barrier," he told the BBC. "People are taking to the streets, young people, all walks of life, educated, non-educated, higher social classes, lower social classes."
 
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Interestingly the coverage in Iran is very pro rebellion. I wonder how much meddling they have been doing over in Egypt.
 
The rebellion in Egypt

Who else has been following this? I knew it was going to erupt after they blacked out the net on people. Been watching this play out for hours and hours now. While it makes me extremely proud of these people, the whole affair is really saddening for me. As is the lack of people being remotely interested in this reality.

For those interested, I've been using this al jazeera feed for my live source: http://english.aljazeera.net/watch_now/

What are you thinking and feeling about this?
 
Check my thread in the news / politics subforum. I have a link to a live feed there if you're looking for good coverage.
 
[mods]Threads merged as they are one in the same[/mods]
 
I was following it through my friend's Facebook (she's living in Cairo) but obviously that isn't an option now. Al Jazeera has great coverage though...for some reason we get the TV channel on cable and I've been watching it all day so far...it's impossible to look away. From the little I know, it seems like a popular uprising is long overdue. Hopefully the result will be a government more responsive to its peoples' needs.

It reminds me of the protests in Iran after the 2009 election. I've also heard people comparing it to the Islamic Revolution in 1979. However it plays out, this is a really big deal.
 
If I knew my vote had been all to waste for 30 years I'd feel a little pissed off too.
 
Oh dear, oh dear.

Also heard this from another place. I can't say whether if this is good or bad (have literally no idea about Egyptian politics until this turn of events), but Egypt's politics seems to do a very good job on covering all those feelings..until now. There must have been some serious shit happening underneath.

I only hope the innocent citizens are alright, the riots don't spread towards the town, and the country will be able to survive whatever comes next.
 
The US market kinda tanked today because of this Egypt unrest. Allegedly because Tunisia did this last week. It seems they grew tired of their president lining his pockets....

If several small countries decide to follow suit - what do you think will happen - in the world at large? Nuclear war in the middle east? An excuse to bomb somebody - anybody? Chaos always breeds opportunity for the greedy. Who do you suppose is sitting back in their conference room watching all of this on their wall of TV news feeds?

I vote for the weapons manufacturers...
 
I vote for the weapons manufacturers...
It's a great day for the rich in America! God bless the makers of death.
 
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At last, I never expected Egyptians to revolt. I'm very excited about this.
 
Mubarak has dissolved the goverment. This is getting interesting....
 
o_O... The army is allegedly siding with the people.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/30/world/middleeast/30-egypt.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

In another sign that the army was showing sympathy for the demonstrations, in a different central Cairo square on Saturday a soldier in camouflage addressed a crowd through a bullhorn declaring that the army would stand with the people.
“I don’t care what happens,” the soldier said. “You are the ones who are going to make the change.”
The crowd responded, “The army and the people will purify the country.”

Many years ago when we were staring at the approaching Y2K event - my police officer friend who was also a Major in the Army National Guard (in the US) assured us that if the President called out the guard to "maintain order" - should the US go belly up into chaos - the soldiers would not shoot civilians. They would side with the people.
It appears the army in Egypt has the same point of view. If this is true - then I think it's great. OTH - the military taking over a country leaves a cold feeling in the pit of my stomach.

LOL - I think it's hilarious old Mubarak's ego thinks he can scam the people by firing his cabinet members. As if that proves he's changed...
 
...I feel so familiar with this, for some reason. :| I don't think the cabinet reformation will work -- at all. :|

THANK GOODNESS THE ARMY SIDES WITH THE PEOPLE -- or at least some of them. Let us hope things will be better for Egypt. And things will be safe in Cairo :|
 
The army is from the people, they're poor, they're underpaid, they suffered just as much as the common man from Mubarak's rule. I think Mubarak has no chance, it's only a matter of time. Hopefully the aftermath won't be controled by the Muslim Brotherhood, but regardless of that, the Egyptians have to take their chance.
 
This could happen almost anywhere anytime, the outcome of which is beyond most people's thoughts.

Edit to say the Muslim Brotherhood only stayed out of this to see what would happen, which was for only about two days. Hamas is stirring up strife across Jordan, too.

The New Testament speaks of people without proper guidance, and thus correction, as being like unto bastards (one without a Father). I see this a lot around the world. I feel they are not seeking it, but are rather listening to the wrong people. There are proper channels to travel through. Plus one for the "Oh, my; Oh, dear." Wouldn't let my children play in the streets like this.
 
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It's incredible that this is still going on! My respect and pride in the Egyptian people grows by the day as they continue to refuse to accept being ruled by bullshit. So impressed.

Still watching it live from here: http://english.aljazeera.net/watch_now/
 
I find it priceless how sending the military out to the streets backfired so badly. Not surprising in the least, but priceless nonetheless.

Has anyone else noticed a relationship between rising food prices and revolutions?