This is how it began on January 25th when the police forces attack the protesters at Tahrir square at night after midnight and this is why I am so scared now !!
The military police has attacked the protesters who were having a sit at Tahrir square and at the cabinet HQ at Kasr Al Aini street. Protesters have been chased and eye witnesses are saying that teasers and whips were used, activists have been detained. No one is allowed to enter there , journalists were not allowed to cover what is going on. There are reports that masked men with machine guns were seen with the military police , I think they were brought to scare the protesters.
I know someone will say that there is a curfew and I tell him that the curfew does not give the military to end the sit in by this shameful and disgraceful way. For 18 days the army let the protesters stay as they wanted regardless of the curfew.
Already where was that curfew on February 2nd when the thugs attacked and killed protesters ??
This is a dangerous escalation , unacceptable one too.
Our dear Gigi Ibrahim and Mona Seif are there. Gigi took several snapshots before her mobile phone battery went off. She was at the cabinet HQ. Her snapshots show the military police surrounding the protesters.
Mona showed a photo for a protester who was beaten by the military forces :(
Here is the latest footage from Al Tahrir square from Ramy Raoof.
Updated at 12:21PM
The Egyptian army has issued an apology on its FB page .Actually it has issued two messages about what happened at Tahrir earlier.
In MSG No.22 the armed forces council starts its apology with highlighted sweet words "An apology and we know that you would forgive us" This is the nearest translation. Then the AFC goes on and says that the army is keen to achieve the aims of the January 25th revolution youth and that what happened from clashes between the military police and the children of the revolution was unintentional !!
There were not and will not be any orders to the forces to attack the children of this great people.
There will be precautions that will make that this will never happen again !!
In MSG No.23 the AFC says that it gave its to order to release all those who were detained last night.
Now to my comment
I do not understand how the military police turned so violent against the peaceful protesters if there was not a single order for them to use force !!
I do not understand how the National TV goes and says that the military police warned the people half an hour earlier when according to the protesters the attack started just 3 minutes after that general warning !! The army knew that there will be a sit in already hours prior the curfew and again this does not give the military police the right to use violence in this way.
The army has just issued MSG No.24 that the army position is clear but there is this minority that wants to destroy the revolution and that this minority attacks the army with bottles and stones !!!!!!!!! No body attacked the army last night.
Some people say that the army may have meant the members of NDP and their thugs who recently restored their activity and wanted to create chaos in the country. Some say that these thugs joined the protesters at the Kasr Al Anini at the cabinet HQ and were provoking the army , still this was earlier and those thugs left later.
I hope that the army meant this minority because honestly using the same words the Mubarak media used during the early days of the revolution makes very uncomfortable.
Now here are a collection of videos the protesters managed to take during the attack.
It seems that military police soldier is not from Cairo
This video the protesters chanted the famous "Soldier ,Soldier" chant with a little twist. "Soldier , Soldier , why !!? Are we in Libya or what !!? The original chant was "Soldier , Soldier why , are we in jail or what"
Another video showing the military police removing tents.
A video showing the protesters running through Kasr Al Aini street
These videos from our dear Gigi at the parliament
Gigi recorded this testimony for one of the protesters
We are not against the army on the contrary , we are so angry because they are supposed to be our army.
The military police has attacked the protesters who were having a sit at Tahrir square and at the cabinet HQ at Kasr Al Aini street. Protesters have been chased and eye witnesses are saying that teasers and whips were used, activists have been detained. No one is allowed to enter there , journalists were not allowed to cover what is going on. There are reports that masked men with machine guns were seen with the military police , I think they were brought to scare the protesters.
I know someone will say that there is a curfew and I tell him that the curfew does not give the military to end the sit in by this shameful and disgraceful way. For 18 days the army let the protesters stay as they wanted regardless of the curfew.
Already where was that curfew on February 2nd when the thugs attacked and killed protesters ??
This is a dangerous escalation , unacceptable one too.
Our dear Gigi Ibrahim and Mona Seif are there. Gigi took several snapshots before her mobile phone battery went off. She was at the cabinet HQ. Her snapshots show the military police surrounding the protesters.
Updated at 12:21PM
The Egyptian army has issued an apology on its FB page .Actually it has issued two messages about what happened at Tahrir earlier.
In MSG No.22 the armed forces council starts its apology with highlighted sweet words "An apology and we know that you would forgive us" This is the nearest translation. Then the AFC goes on and says that the army is keen to achieve the aims of the January 25th revolution youth and that what happened from clashes between the military police and the children of the revolution was unintentional !!
There were not and will not be any orders to the forces to attack the children of this great people.
There will be precautions that will make that this will never happen again !!
In MSG No.23 the AFC says that it gave its to order to release all those who were detained last night.
Now to my comment
I do not understand how the military police turned so violent against the peaceful protesters if there was not a single order for them to use force !!
I do not understand how the National TV goes and says that the military police warned the people half an hour earlier when according to the protesters the attack started just 3 minutes after that general warning !! The army knew that there will be a sit in already hours prior the curfew and again this does not give the military police the right to use violence in this way.
The army has just issued MSG No.24 that the army position is clear but there is this minority that wants to destroy the revolution and that this minority attacks the army with bottles and stones !!!!!!!!! No body attacked the army last night.
Some people say that the army may have meant the members of NDP and their thugs who recently restored their activity and wanted to create chaos in the country. Some say that these thugs joined the protesters at the Kasr Al Anini at the cabinet HQ and were provoking the army , still this was earlier and those thugs left later.
I hope that the army meant this minority because honestly using the same words the Mubarak media used during the early days of the revolution makes very uncomfortable.
Now here are a collection of videos the protesters managed to take during the attack.
It seems that military police soldier is not from Cairo
This video the protesters chanted the famous "Soldier ,Soldier" chant with a little twist. "Soldier , Soldier , why !!? Are we in Libya or what !!? The original chant was "Soldier , Soldier why , are we in jail or what"
Another video showing the military police removing tents.
A video showing the protesters running through Kasr Al Aini street
These videos from our dear Gigi at the parliament
Gigi recorded this testimony for one of the protesters
We are not against the army on the contrary , we are so angry because they are supposed to be our army.
Technorati Tags: Citizen journalism,Egypt,Politics,Protests,January25,Egyptian army,Revolution,Tahrir square,Human rights,AFC,News,National
Anyone who did not see this coming was dreaming. the signs were present from the camel day and many more. This is it. We have to show our will to keep going.
ReplyDeleteThat is why the people need to go on the streets EVERYDAY, not only once a week on a friday... The game isn't over yet... The big boss might have fallen, but the others are still around.
ReplyDeleteMost of the time I do agree with you Zeinobia but not now. Curfew means that you could even get shot if you are out. It is now there for a clear reason: To be able to sort out criminals.
ReplyDeleteDemocracy comes with rules too and Egyptians have to learn to live by such rules. In the past we did not respect our government, we feared it. So we did not respect their rules. That is why we drive like mad people and break any traffic rule if it suits us.
Nowhere is it permissible to protest in the vicinity of a parliament building. It makes sense. Do you want to see it going up in flames too?
We can protest all day long. It is obvious that the army has been lenient so far, but now they are tightening the grip to establish basic order. How can we build a new Egypt, while every Tom Dick and Harry starts a protest or a strike and thinks just because you hold up a signboard he will get what he wants?
If it continues like this, our factories will shut down, tourists will stay away and millions will be out of their jobs and in the end those will want the old regime to return.
@ second anonymous: I just want to know why is the curfew obligatory now and not from the beginning, If they decided to apply curfew just now why didn't they send a message to those who were protesting telling them to disperse like they always used to do, not to assault them like the MOI and it's thugs, and what factories and traffic on Friday night !!!
ReplyDeleteFrom overseas it seems to me that you had your chance and you blew it. You had a physical base of representative government in Tahrir Square. You had a tent city, the basis for an organization, close communication. You had a place that could be defended. You could have made the powers come to you. But you gave it up. Now you are helplessly watching talking heads on TV. You ought to take back that square and make it the new seat of government, period.
ReplyDeleteThe army will take over and remain in power. If you think that the West will allow democracy or risk another Gaza-type elections you are dreaming in technicolour. Do you wonder why coverage of Egypt in the Western media has ceased. All are now focussed on Libya.Come on. Realize that the same powers that be in Egypt are still pulling many of the strings. A few bandits will be hung out to dry to satisfy the nation's thirst for vengeance and justice but come on. Do you think the billions stolen will be recovered? Do you the president or his son will be arrested and tried for theft. Seriously? The army wants life to return to the way things were before the protests.
ReplyDeleteWho is Baradei anyways. You are naive if you think he is the hope of the future. He was a UN puppet and his compliance with the decision that there were alleged WMD in Iraq makes him even less trustworthy. He would be another puppet for the interests of those who want 2 continue 2 see the vast majority of the Egyptian people remain illiterate, impoverished and lining up for basic necessities like bread.
Egypt was the pearl of the arab worl. The cultural, political and even religious lead4er. It lost that position long ago. How do u eradicate almost 60 years of economic, cultural and even religious decline? Your nation woke up finally but like the last anonymous stated, you gave up much too soon. The goal should have not been just to remove the president. It should have been to remove all of those in compliance with him. That includes most of the top military staff my dear. Wake up and smell the coffee. There is a great article on al jazeera english's website that discusses this very thing. Read it.
anonymous#2, the curfew is just an excuse to clear the square, i am not sure if you are in Egypt but the curfew was never really imposed not even from day one when it was from 18:00 to 8:00 or later extended from 15:00. People never cared about the curfew and well in the wee hours you will find people on the streets -less than normal of course but still very vibrant and many stores are open and serving patrons like there is no curfew.
ReplyDeleteTrying to force a curfew on 80 million country or 17 miliion city? what a joke. They only wanted to clear the square and when they found no excuse for using violence then played the curfew card, what criminals in Tahrir square right in downtown? this is nonsense
#last anonymous, you don't know anthing.
ReplyDeletefirst the army- although I dont trust them do not want to be involved in running the country not because it belives in democracy but because they want to wash their hands from the entire mess and they know they can't fix it, they don't need to worry about the military owned businesses because more or less they are public sector and no one will touch them.
firther to prove you don't know anything
Baradei was not complicit in invading Iraq ha has several statements declaring there were no WMDs in Iraq..where are you getting your info from?? USA didn't want him for another term specifically because he stood against their desires they even bugged his phones, I am no supporter of Baradei and care little about him but fair is fair.
The vast majority of Egyptians are not illiterate when literacy rate is 78%, and poverty rate is 20% just about poverty line $2/month and 20 % belown that line..it's a big percent but far from being vast majority..again more nonsense from someone ignornat who knows nothing about the country, go read some statistics
$2/day
ReplyDeleteWhat? the constitutional proposal is to reduce the presidential term to eight years? Eight years is a decade and you might as well leave it as is. Trust me, you want 4 years if accountability is to be served.
ReplyDelete