As the world continues to witness one of the most remarkable processes of change in modern history, the Egyptian government today drew a line in the sand and forbade any more protests. TheLA Times has reported:
Thousands of Egyptian protesters inspired by the revolt in Tunisia clashed with police in the largest anti-government demonstrations in years, flying banners and decrying political repression, corruption and unemployment under the three-decade rule of President Hosni Mubarak.
Mothers in hijabs and students clad in denim joined protests that flared in Cairo and spread to Alexandria and beyond, chanting "Freedom!" and "Down with Mubarak!" A police officer and two protesters were killed, authorities said.
Last week the world witnessed..
the breathtaking refusal of the Tunisian Army to fire upon its own people, resulting in the corrupt regime being driven from power as Tunisians put their foot down on rampant unemployment, rising food prices, poverty, and police repression. It was speculated that the "Jasmine Revolution" might spread to other parts of the Arab world, a revolution defined by rejection of both the corrupt ruling regimes and Islamic fundamentalism alike.
Next to Israel, Egypt is the second largest recipient of US military and economic assistance in the world. The Egyptian government receives about $1.5 billion per year.
Twitter, the Internet messaging service that has been one of the main methods used by demonstrators to organize, said it had been blocked in Egypt. Reports on Facebook are that hundreds of protesters so far have been arrested.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has expressed support for the Mubarak regime. The United States as Egypt's principle financial backer is in a strong position to condition continuing aid to the Mubarak government on exercising restraint. Up to to the minute updates coming out of the country can be seen at the Facebook Egypts Protests 25 Jan 2011. This is an English language page. I have not been able to track down the main Facebook page for Sixth of April Youth. Anyone with family or contacts who can give link, appreciated.
In the meantime please contact Secretary Clinton's office and ask her to relay the message to Mubarak: HANDS OFF PROTESTERS!
Ladies and gentlemen, pray and bear witness to this momentous time in history. Let us now stand with the people whom our own government for much of post World War II history has so grievously wronged. Our government has lent military support to regimes who steal, pilfer, kill, torture, and keep their people in abject poverty despite ample natural resources, principally oil. This is our chance to, in some small way, make it right.
The protests will continue. The next move is the Egyptian government's. Last night President Obama in his State of the Union speech told the world we stand with the Tunisian people. We should stand with the Egyptian people as well in this, their hour of crisis.
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UPDATE: REPORT Police attacking protesters around major newspapers, protesters on rooftop pelt police with rocks from above. BELOW: Street action, recently posted. Man saying "We will have our goddamn rights one way or the other!"