UPDATE 11:35am pst It is night time now in Cairo. The protests called by April 6th from their Facebook page [87k likes] and started this morning continue into the night. I have a webcam view of a street in Cairo. I can see two groups facing off but it is so dark that I can't see which side is which but I'm pretty sure the webcam is on the protesters side. I keep it on mainly for the chants [which I can't understand], the lovely voices raised in protest in a way they haven't in 30 years. They are defying a State of Emergency imposed in 1981 for the first time!
12:13pm What I assume are the police have now put very bright lights on the protesters, now I can see even less through the webcam. I can heard loud voices on a PA system. I think it is the police and I don't think I need a translator to tell me what they are saying. The chants rise above the bullhorn, they come now like a roar but I fear what will happen in Cairo tonight.
webcam went down
1:06pm France24 is reporting 3 people killed, 2 in Suez. Thousands of protester planning all night sit-in. France24 correspondent talking about "another Tunisia."
1:20 pm pst webcam still down, servers possibly blocked in Egypt, now have audio only feed and I can hear the protests continue.
Al Jazeera 25 Jan 2011 23:48 GMT Three dead in Egypt protests
Two civilians and a police officer have died after a wave of unusually large anti-government demonstrations swept across Egypt, calling for the ouster of longtime president Hosni Mubarak.
In central Cairo, crowds numbering in the thousands protested and clashed with police throughout the day. Shortly after midnight on Wednesday morning, security forces violently dispersed those who remained in Tahrir Square, the heart of the city, Al Jazeera's Adam Makary reported.
I was watching the building tensions in Cario, I think Tahrir Sq, when the webcam, went out. That was about 1:00pm pst and so 11:00pm in Cario or an hour before the "security forces violently dispersed those who remained." At the time it appeared that the plug had been pulled on the Cairo end and I had a bad feeling. The article continues..
Security officers fired tear gas, water cannons and rubber bullets to drive the protesters from the square, where they had chosen to remain throughout the night in protest. An Al Jazeera cameraman was shot with rubber bullets several times, including once in the face, Makary said.
Telephone communication with people in central Cairo was nearly impossible, but Makary reported that the crowds, which had been peaceful, had been forced to escape the police, who fired dozens of tear gas canisters.
The protests in Cairo were reportedly the largest in the country on Tuesday, a date chosen by activists to emulate the recent uprising in nearby Tunisia.
But demonstrations occurred throughout Egypt.
Al Jazeera Video Thousands join Cairo protests
Tunisia & Egypt Reports 25-01-11 from France24
Live streaming of Cairo demonstration Thank you Red Bean for the link.
Demonstrations continue into the night in Cairo.
UPDATE: 6:35am pst - Police firing tear at demonstrators in central Cario
In Tunisia, major trade union calls for general strike in 2nd largest city of Stax. Most schools remain closed.
Al Jazeera has this report this morning Egypt protesters clash with police
Inspired by Tunisian demonstrators, thousands of Egyptian protesters on Tuesday gathered in Cairo and other major cities, calling for reforms and demanding the ouster of President Hosni Mubarak, Al Jazeera's correspondents have reported.
The anti-government protesters, some hurling rocks and climbing atop an armoured police truck, were chanting slogans against Mubarak, who ruled the country for three decades.
Downtown Cairo came to a standstill with protesters chanting slogans against the police, the interior minister and the government, in scenes that the capital has not seen since the 1970s.
Demonstrators marched toward what Al Jazeera's Rawya Rageh called the "symbols of their complaints and their agony," the headquarters of the ruling National Democratic Party, the foreign ministry and the state television.
WikiLeaks Central has 2011-01-25 Revolution Day in Egypt
Egyptians will be demonstrating today in solidarity with Tunisia and in hope for change within their own government. An Egyptian national holiday in honour of the police, has been renamed 'The Day of Wrath', 'Revolution Day', and the 'Koshari Revolution', the latter referring to a rice, lentils and pasta dish frequently eaten by lower income Egyptians.
There has been a significant amount of support and planning for the protest online, causing the government and police to promise an equally strong suppression. Over 85,000 people have liked the Facebook page for the protest day[link is my add- CC], calling for a day of revolution against torture, poverty, corruption and unemployment.
April 6 Youth Movement, whose group said they distributed over 150,000 flyers for the event, had at least three members arrested last week for distributing pamphlets, according to Egypt's al-Masry al-Youm. Almost half of Egypt's 80 million people live on less than or just above USD$2 a day. The protesters are calling for a raise of minimum wage to 1200 pounds, linking wages to prices, getting rid of the Interior Minister, and abolishing the state of emergency that Egypt has imposed since 1981.
Al Jazeera is reporting tonight:
"Our protest on the 25th is the beginning of the end," wrote organisers of a Facebook group with 87,000 followers.
"It is the end of silence, acquiescence and submission to what is happening in our country. It will be the start of a new page in Egypt's history, one of activism and demanding our rights."
The Egyptian government has warned activists hoping to emulate Tunisian pro-democracy protesters that they face arrest if they go ahead on Tuesday with mass demonstrations some have labelled as the "Day of Wrath".
The rallies have been promoted online by groups saying they speak for young Egyptians frustrated by the kind of poverty and oppression which triggered the overthrow of Tunisia's president.
Similar calls have been made in other authoritarian Arab states. Coinciding with a national holiday in honour of the police, a key force in keeping president Hosni Mubarak in power for 30 years, the outcome in Egypt on Tuesday is seen as a test of whether vibrant Web activism can translate into street action.
The BBC has this article: Egypt activists to hold Tunisia-inspired 'action day'
Organisers have called for a "day of revolt against torture, poverty, corruption and unemployment".
Emirates 24/7 has:
The rallies have been promoted online by groups saying they speak for young Egyptians frustrated by the kind of poverty and oppression which triggered the overthrow of Tunisia's president. Similar calls have been made in other authoritarian Arab states.
Coinciding with a national holiday in honour of the police, a key force in keeping President Hosni Mubarak in power for 30 years, the outcome in Egypt on Tuesday is seen as a test of whether vibrant Web activism can translate into street action.
On background:
The April 6 Youth Movement is an Egyptian Facebook group started by Esraa Rashid and Ahmad Maher in Spring 2008 to support the workers in El-Mahalla El-Kubra, an industrial town, who were planning to strike on April 6.
Activists called on participants to wear black and stay home the day of the strike. Bloggers and citizen journalists used Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, blogs and other new media tool to report on the strike, alert their networks about police activity, organize legal protection and draw attention to their efforts.
The New York Times has identified the movement as the political Facebook group in Egypt with the most dynamic debates. As of January 2009, it had 70,000 predominantly young and educated members, most of whom had not been politically active before; their core concerns include free speech, nepotism in government and the country's stagnant economy. Their discussion forum on Facebook features intense and heated discussions, and is constantly updated with new postings.
Egypt is the 'big enchilada" of North Africa and Egypt definitely will be the place to watch today and we will be watching here all day. Return often for breaking news and new developments above the fold.
25/01/11 I just received this email. Now France24 is getting the news from me! They are using a photo I got from my source, who must remain 'Anonymous.' I guess turn-about is fair play.
We're a France 24 journalist team and would use your photo about algeiran demonstration for an article on our website. Of course, we'll put your name and a link to your photo on Flickr.
Isn't modern technology wonderful. Now you can play dominoes over the Internet!
Another Death in Venice
Scotty was a homeless Vietnam veteran that lived for many years on Venice Beach. He was someone I saw every day. He was an alcoholic and a gentle soul. Everyone loved Scotty. After he was hospitalized last year someone finally found shelter for him but Venice Beach was still his real home and he would be down there almost every day. He had a heart attack while waiting for the bus to the shelter on Saturday so I guess you could say he died at home.
I never did a film interview with Scotty for the documentary I'm working on now Vietnam: People's Victory, which will also be about the veterans, because hey it's Scotty, I can tape him anytime.
This is a photo essay - Rest in Peace Scotty
Here are a couple of diaries related to this:
BREAKING: Protesters Plan Massive "Day of Wrath" in Egypt
A Death in Venice
Venice Beach "Everyone is Disappearing"'
Here is a recap of my other DKos dairies on the Internet, North Africa and Anonymous:
Tunisians Thank Anonymous as North Africa Explodes
Huffington Post Disses the Jasmine Revolution
Tunisia: A Single Tweet Can Start A Prairie Fire!
Anonymous plans Op Swift Assist in Tunisia
Arrested Pirate Party Member Becomes Tunisian Minister
Is Libya Next? Anonymous Debates New Operation
Tunis: This Photo was Taken 66 Minutes Ago
The WikiLeaks Revolution: Anonymous Strikes Tunisia
EMERGENCY: DKos Must Act Now to Protect Tunisian Bloggers!
Free Software & Internet Show Communism is Possible
BREAKING - Digital Sit-Ins: The Internet Strikes Back!
Cyber War Report: New Front Opens Against Internet Coup d'état
Operation PayBack: 1st Cyber War Begins over WikiLeaks
The Internet Takeover: Why Google is Next
BREAKING: Goodbye Internet Freedom as Wikileaks is Taken Down
BREAKING NEWS: Obama Admin Takes Control of Internet Domains!
Things Even Keith Olbermann Won't Cover - UPDATE: VICTORY!!!
Stop Internet Blacklist Bill Now!
Sweet Victory on Internet Censorship: Senate Backs Off!
Internet Engineers tell the Senate to Back Off!
Why is Net Neutrality advocate Free Press MIA?
Obama's Internet Coup d'état
Julian Assange on Threat to Internet Freedom
