Egyptians denounce Mubarak, clash with riot police


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Reuters – Day of anger in Egypt
Slideshow:Anti-government protests in Egypt

AP – A protestor holding a placard in French reading 'Mubarak, get out', is surrounded by riot police during …
By MAGGIE MICHAEL, Associated Press – 1 hr 5 mins ago
CAIRO – Thousands of anti-government protesters, some hurling rocks and climbing atop an armored police truck, clashed with riot police Tuesday in the center of Cairo in a Tunisia-inspired demonstration to demand the end of Hosni Mubarak's nearly 30 years in power.
Police responded with blasts from water cannons and set upon crowds with batons and acrid clouds of tear gas to clear demonstrators crying out "Down with Mubarak" and demanding an end to Egypt's grinding poverty, corruption, unemployment and police abuses.
Tuesday's demonstration, the largest Egypt has seen for years, began peacefully, with police showing unusual restraint in what appeared to be a calculated strategy by the government to avoid further sullying the image of a security apparatus widely seen as little more than corrupt thugs in uniforms.
With discontent growing over economic woes, and the toppling of Tunisia's president still resonating in the region, Egypt's government — which normally responds with swift retribution to any dissent — needed to tread carefully.
But as crowds filled downtown Cairo's Tahrir Square — waving Egyptian and Tunisian flags and adopting the same protest chants that rang out in the streets of Tunis — security personnel changed tactics and the protest turned violent.
The sight of officers beating demonstrators had particular resonance because Tuesday was also a national holiday honoring the much-feared police.
In Egypt, discontent with life in the autocratic, police state has simmered under the surface for years. It is the example of Tunisia, though, that appeared to be enough to push many young Egyptians into the streets for the first time.
"This is the first time I am protesting, but we have been a cowardly nation. We have to finally say no," said 24-year-old Ismail Syed, a hotel worker who struggles to live on a salary of $50 a month.
Demonstrators attacked a water cannon truck, opening the driver's door and ordering the man out of the vehicle. Some hurled rocks and dragged metal barricades. Officers beat back protesters with batons as they tried to break cordons to join the main group of demonstrators downtown.
Protesters emerged stumbling from white clouds of tear gas, coughing and covering their faces with scarves.
Some had blood streaming down their faces. One man fainted. Police dragged some away and beat a journalist, smashing her glasses and seizing her camera.
Crowds also marched to the headquarters of Mubarak's National Democratic Party, shouting, "Here are the thieves."
Egypt's government remained silent, issuing no public comment on the demonstrations.
In Washington, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said Egypt's government, a key U.S. ally in the Middle East, is stable despite the outpouring. Clinton said Egyptians have the right to protest, but urged all parties to avoid violence.
At one point Tuesday, the protesters seemed to gain the upper hand, forcing a line of riot police to flee under a barrage of rocks. One demonstrator climbed into a fire engine and drove it away.
"I want my 3-year-old child to grow up with dignity and to find a job just like the president," said 50-year-old Eid Attallah, who works as a driver.
He said he had heard about the planned protests from friends but didn't expect them to be so big.
Many expressed similar surprise.
"We are fed up; this is just enough," said Sayid Abdelfatah, a 38-year-old civil servant who marched with an Egyptian flag. "Tunisia's revolution inspired me but I really never thought we would find such people ready to do the same here."
During a lull in the clashes, lines of protesters bowed in unison to perform the sunset prayer as police stood aside. Several thousand remained in the streets after dark.
To the north, in the Mediterranean port city of Alexandria, thousands of protesters also marched in what was dubbed a "Day of Rage" against Mubarak and lack of political freedoms under his rule.
Like the Tunisian protests, the calls for the rallies in Egypt went out on Facebook and Twitter, with 90,000 saying they would attend. Organizers used the site to give minute-by-minute instructions on where demonstrators should go in an attempt to outmaneuver the police.
By late afternoon, access to Twitter appeared to have been blocked.
In another parallel with Tunisia, the protests drew energy in large part from the death of one person: a young Egyptian man named Khaled Said whose family and witnesses say was beaten to death by a pair of policemen in Alexandria last year.
His case has become a rallying point for Egypt's opposition. Two policemen are on trial in connection with his death.
Tunisia's protests were also sparked by the death of one man: a poor Tunisian vegetable vendor who set himself in fire to protest corruption.
Last week, several people in Egypt — and elsewhere in the Middle East and North Africa — set themselves on fire in apparent attempts to copy his actions.
Mothers carrying babies also marched and chanted, "Revolution until Victory!" while young waved signs reading "OUT!" that were inspired by the Tunisian protestations of "DEGAGE!" Men sprayed graffiti reading "Down with Hosni Mubarak."
"We want to see change just like in Tunisia," said Lamia Rayan, 24, one of the protesters.
Some passers-by dismissed the protests, saying a few thousand of Cairo's 18 million people coming out on the streets was not nearly enough to force change.
"This is all just a waste of time," said Ali Mustafa Ibrahim, who works at a ciggarette stand. "These are a bunch of kids playing cat and mouse. , It's just going to create more problems and more traffic in the city."
Nearly half of Egypt's 80 million people live under or just above the poverty line set by the United Nations at $2 a day. Poor quality education, health care and high unemployment have left large numbers of Egyptians deprived of basic needs.
___
Hadeel Al-Shalchi, Hamza Hendawi and Tarek el-Tablawy in Cairo and Bradley Klapper in Washington contributed to this report.


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110125/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_egypt_protest

Revolution across WHITE AFRICA! Not Black Africa.

Mobinga:

Revolution across WHITE AFRICA! Not Black Africa.

Thats Arab/berber Africa bush man.

Correct yourself

so u've decided 2 start a sensible thread?or u just 4got 2 take ur daily dosage of otapiapia. . .anywayz,leave brooklyn and come down hia lets turn d tide in naija. . .

philip0906:

so u've decided 2 start a sensible thread?or u just 4got 2 take your daily dosage of otapiapia. . .anywayz,leave brooklyn and come down hia lets turn d tide in naija. . .

lololololololololololol, ahhhhhh. i havent heard the word otapiapia in ages,

I had predicted Egypt will be next. Libya to follow

mystikal:

I had predicted Egypt will be next. Libya to follow

Even the Libya Man don they quake for pant.

Abeg when thing go reach Nigeria i hope not year 2100

You will never hear of a,Nigerians student burning himself as a sign of protest they would rather die killing themselves in cult wars or pray to god for nigeria to progress.

^^^^^^^

[size=20pt]Solution precis - Fix the State[/size]

1. Start a petition online and all over Nigeria, target Southern Nigeria (cooperate)

2. Publish results, embarass the government internally and globally, use the global media, lobby the UN and Super Powers.

3. Demand the implementation of Political and Economic Structural changes in the State (True Federalism, Separation of Powers
Independence of the Judiciary, Rule of Law, Transparent Government, Independent and entrenched Taxation body with published
figures.

4. Start a class action against or sue the FG at the International Court of Justice, Hague for the dereliction of duties
to her citizens regarding not guaranteeing human rights and property (JOS).

5. Assuming all of the above ends up fruitless =====> we opt for "OPTION B", which is point 6 below

6. Form 1 major alliance across the South and parts of the Middle Belt in favour of lobbying the UN for a "UN sponsored referendum"
regarding the secession of Southern Nigeria.


Fix the State and we will fix the problem!

manmustwac:

You will never hear of a,Nigerians student burning himself as a sign of protest they would rather die killing themselves in cult wars or pray to god for nigeria to progress.

And what would YOU do in that situation, or are you from Ghana?

I heard what Ghaddafi said, lol, the dude is scared of a Libyan Revolt. His time is up. Libya Next.
Nigerians ain't doing nada. Fake ass fun loving people, that'll flee when violence erupts. Where they have power is on the internet, to open their "mouths" and talk about secession. Fake ass bitches.

P

mystikal:

I had predicted Egypt will be next. Libya to follow

what about nigeria i'd love to hear your predictions. When are we going to do something or is it just to continue praying?

Jen33:

manmustwac:

And what would YOU do in that situation, or are you from Ghana?

Based in london. What do you expect me to do i remeber around 10
years ago one sunday morning during the Orka coup i was telling my neighbours that this was the time for revolution that we should mobilise organise and try to do something but all i was hearing from them was negative answers. Everybody dey fear the sound of bullet.

.

mystikal:

I had predicted Egypt will be next. Libya to follow

Many people predicted Egypt to follow. Next will Algeria. Not Libya. . . And maybe Morocco as well.

.

tpia*:

yemen is following.

Yemen has no government. So I do not know how it can "fall."

I guess Nigeria might follow some time in April 2011 when announced Gej won and Buhari fail or opposite of that.

What do you think ?

.

morpheus24:

Thats Arab/berber Africa bush man.

Correct yourself

Calling the jackass a bushman is an insult to bushmen.

Cyborg2011:

I guess Nigeria might follow some time in April 2011 when announced Gej won and Buhari fail or opposite of that.

What do you think ?

Well, time will tell.

philip0906:

so u've decided 2 start a sensible thread?or u just 4got 2 take your daily dosage of otapiapia. . .anywayz,leave brooklyn and come down hia lets turn d tide in naija. . .

Nah, nigga, u clean ur own shiyyt urself!

tpia*:

didnt nigeria already have a revolution where they insisted on gej's installation.

i remember the tshirts and stuff.

revolution? for where? revolution to put PDP in power? anyway thats your theory

The revolution that's taking wave at the moment and is being so effective has a target - a long-reigning despot.  In Tunisia, and in Egypt.  You have Mubarak who's been in power for 30 years!  And just now has deigned to "appoint" a vice predident. 

He will fall,  Unless the U.S., as always, uses their power to hold him up.  The news  coverage right now is being turned around by the Israeli Lobby.  You know, "is it good for the jews?"  God forbid the Egyptians should get a leader who actually puts first his own people's interest and not that of the Americans!

With respect to Nigeria, the sort of revolution you're witnessing will not happen -at least not anytime soon.  Jonathan is not that powerful; he is not a great symbol of power in Nigeria; he has not been in power for any length of time.  If any "revolution" would happen, it could be another military takeover (which I highly doubt) clandestinely sponsored by the Americans or the Brits, using the political chaos and candidate murders, plus the nothern conflicts as an excuse.

morpheus24:

Thats Arab/berber Africa bush man.

Correct yourself

@Morpheus my man

The majority of Berbers can be called white so technically he is correct. Even using American census standards North Africa is also "white"


anyways, I dont know if what is happening now can be replicated all across the continent though. Two many heavy handed dictators

Maybe in North Africa and the Middle East. Not Sub-Saharan Africa though. . .

EzeUche_:

Maybe in North Africa and the Middle East. Not Sub-Saharan Africa though. . .

There is a possibility in places like Djibouti, Mauritania, Eritrea, Sudan etc. It can happen in some places in "sub-saharan" Afrrica. I just dont know how extensive it would be

Sub-saharan Africa did this when Mugabe fought the whites,
Mandela fought the boers
the Mai Mai in kenya fought england


im tired of ppl acting like just because arabs decided they want a democracy in 2011, blacks haven't had democracies since 1960.


ignorance. smh

There is a possibility in places like Djibouti, Mauritania, Eritrea, Sudan etc. It can happen in some places in "sub-saharan" Afrrica. I just dont know how extensive it would be

so how limited was the anti-apartied movement in is 'extent'?

[size=20pt]MY PEOPLE, STOP BEING IGNORANT[/size]

@Ikengawo

this is in the context of people kicking out a corrupt dictatorship who is stealing their people blind and rigging elections to stay in power for ever

I said it could happen in some places on other parts of the continent also but I dont know how extensive

ie for example When are people in Cameroun going to revolt and kick Paul Biya out? He has been in power longer than Ben Ali and almost as long as Mubarack

@Post

North Africa is White and Arab but that is not the reason why they are revolting and has nothing to do with what is going on


Its a case of jobless youth and corrupt regimes that want to stay in power forever.

There are certainly other parts of Africa where this could happen also if the conditions are right for it

morpheus24:

Thats Arab/berber Africa bush man.

Correct yourself

Sharrraaap!!! Fowl. Its white/arab Africa. stop talking poo

sudan is about to be next. . .


http://thepeninsulaqatar.com/middle-east/140837-thousands-to-protest-in-sudan-today.html