General Protests Across Nation

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Thu, 12 Sep 2013 - 12:56 GMT

BY

Thu, 12 Sep 2013 - 12:56 GMT

Hundreds of people were killed and hundreds more injured in confrontations with police during mass protests that at press time were ongoing across the country.
 Hundreds of people were killed and hundreds more injured in confrontations with police during mass protests that at press time were ongoing across the country. Attracting thousands in Cairo, Alexandria, Suez and other cities, the demonstrations that started January 25 were the largest the country has seen since the bread riots that erupted in 1977 after then-President Anwar Sadat tried to raise the price of subsidized bread.Dubbed the “Day of Rage” by activists, the January 25 protests were planned a week in advance on social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter, taking their inspiration from Tunisia’s ‘Jasmine Revolution’ that on January 14 forced out President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali. The local demonstrations were scheduled to coincide with Police Day, a public holiday. In Cairo, the protests started relatively peacefully, with security forces forming cordons around Downtown to contain and mostly observe marchers. Protestors broke through the police cordon and congregated in Tahrir Square and around the governing National Democratic Party (NDP) headquarters, Parliament and the Supreme Court of Justice. Media estimates of the crowd size Downtown varied widely between 3,000 and 30,000 people, while smaller protests took place in Heliopolis, NasrCity and Mohandiseen. Among the social and political reforms demanded by protestors were an increase of the minimum wage to LE 1200, a serious crackdown on corruption, the resignation of certain members of government, the dissolution of the current Parliament and the lifting of Emergency Law. Demonstrators vowed to stay Downtown until their demands were answered. After midnight, however, security forces moved in using tear gas, batons, water cannons and rubber bullets to disperse the demonstrators. Protests continued on January 26, although in smaller numbers as the police crackdown on gatherings intensified; activists called for further demonstrations on January 28 after Friday prayers. The social networking website Twitter became inaccessible midway through January 25, along with some news websites including those of independent newspapers Al Dostour and Al Masry Al Youm and the online news site Al Youm 7; Facebook was inaccessible for parts of January 26. A Cabinet spokesman denied that the government was blocking the websites, Reuters reported on January 26. The NDP issued its response to the protests in an official media statement published by state-owned daily Al-Ahram on January 26, saying, “The party follows with interest the events of Tuesday, January 25, 2011, and confirms its respect for the right of citizens to express their views and demands as a constitutional and legal right [.] At press time, media reports varied widely on the number of protestors detained, with estimates ranging from 40 to over 500. The Tunisia Revolt The region got off to a rocky start in 2011, especially if you are in government. Angry over rising prices and unemployment, the Tunisian people revolted in the streets of the capital last month, with demonstrations calling for the resignation of the president ultimately turning into riots. Call it a coup d’état or a revolution, the Tunisians managed to oust President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali. Ben Ali, who had been in his post for 23 years, fled January 15 to Saudi Arabia. Mohamed El Ghannouchi, prime minister for the past 11 years, has declared himself the acting leader of the country, serving as prime minister for the next six months until elections take place. Not much different in ideology than Ben Ali, El Ghannouchi was a member of the Democratic Constitutional Rally, a party that was headed by Ben Ali; the prime minister has consequently promised to withdraw from the political scene after the elections. At press time, El Ghannouchi had yet to form a new government to meet people’s expectations. Thousands of Tunisians took to the streets on January 25 to protest against El Ghannouchi as acting leader and calling for a new government free of politician from the former regime. Protestors slept in the streets, defying the night curfew the government implemented. Things got chaotic after Ben Ali fled, with more than 100 people dead and hundreds injured in street clashes. As gangsters raided houses and terrorized streets, civilian groups unified to fight against crime; El Ghannouchi announced that restoring security was his a primary concern. After a fire broke out in a prison, leading to the death of 50 and escape of dozens of convicts, the army was called in to keep the peace throughout the country. After days of riots, chaos and violence, a measure of calm had been restored, with schools and universities resuming classes on January 24. The new government has also placed former senator Abdel Aziz Ben Dehia and the former minister of interior Abdullah Kalil under house arrest. Protesters are still on the streets calling for El Ghannouchi to step down. Ben Ali, 74, reportedly headed to France, where he and his family owned several estates, but the French authorities denied the claims. He later sought sanctuary in Saudi Arabia under the condition he not speak to the media or participate in politics. Me Too, Me Too! Ala Tunisia fashion, people in Algeria, Jordon and Yemen have also taken to the streets to voice their anger over high prices, unemployment and poor living conditions. Not all demonstrations end with the president fleeing and the country falling into chaos, however, and protesters remained largely disappointed. The Algerian government fought back, arresting over 1,000 protesters, injuring hundreds and killing 30 as security forces used violent tactics to break up the protest. The government also banned any public gatherings in the streets. Students in Yemen also demonstrated against the worsening living conditions but the state took a largely neutral stance. Sanaa did not try to break up the protests, but it has not answered people’s demands either. Amman opted to be proactive in its approach to its protestors, calling for the resignation of Prime Minister Samir El Refaie’s government. At press time, officials had announced that the government would take measures to improve the standard of living. Lebanese Turmoil, Again With the region focused on Tunisia, Lebanese politicians must have felt they weren’t getting enough attention. Prime Minister’s Saad Hariri’s unity government collapsed on January 12 after 11 ministers, all members or allies of the Hezbollah party and comprising more than half of the cabinet, resigned. The ministers resigned in a dispute over the UN tribunal investigation the 2005 assassination of Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, the father of Saad Hariri. While Syria was initially suspected of the car bombing that killed the elder Hariri and 11 others in his motorcade, the tribunal is expected to implicate members of the Shiite group Hezbollah. Anticipating this, Hezbollah demanded that Hariri, a Sunni, denounce the tribunal and withdraw the Lebanese judges from the investigations, but the prime minister refused. On January 25, after parliamentarians voted on candidates, Lebanese President Michelle Suleiman named the pro-Hezbollah Naguib Mikati as new prime minister, with Hariri and Omar Koramy on the sidelines. Lebanese Sunnis immediately took to the streets calling for the new prime minister’s resignation;they claim the Hezbollah’s mass resignations from the Cabinet was a move to force the appointment of a pro-Shiite government. Mikati was backed by 68 of the 128 members of parliament, the rest voted for Hariri. At press time, Mikati had yet to form what he calls a “balanced” government, and Lebanon’s streets remained clad with military tanks and troops to keep the peace. Train Shooting In what officials are describing as a random act of violence, a police officer opened fire on train passengers in Samalout, Minya, killing one Copt and injuring five others just 11 days after the bomb attack on Al Qeddissine Church. The shooter was immediately arrested, and after interrogating the suspect, officials claimed he was mentally ill. Prime Minister Ahmed Nazif emphasized the incident was not one of sectarian violence but an act of madness, telling the press that the officer didn’t have any knowledge of the victims’ identities or religions. The families of the deceased and the injured are demanding compensation of LE 3.5 million from the Ministry of Interior for giving a weapon to an officer they claim is mentally deranged. Silent Treatment Sheikh Al-Azhar Ahmed El Tayeb announced on January 22 that Al-Azhar was breaking off its interfaith dialogue with the Vatican after Pope Benedict XVI reportedly accused Muslims of discriminating against other religions. In the wake of the Al Qeddessine attack and subsequent train shooting in Samalout, the pope called upon world leaders to do more to protect Christians from persecution. Al-Azhar officials said that while talks with the Vatican were off the table, the institution would continue to engage with churches in Egypt. El Tayeb wasn’t the only one put out by comments out of Europe: Egyptian MPs lambasted the European Parliament for interfering in Egypt’s internal affairs after several EU foreign ministers called for protecting Christians in the Middle East. The Egyptian Family Home He may not be talking to the Vatican, but Sheikh Al-Azhar Ahmed El Tayeb is talking to everyone else about religious discrimination. On January 23, Al-Azhar held the first meeting for the Egyptian Family Home initiative to solve the issues of discrimination and religious tensions. In the wake of the attack on Al Qeddessine Church, El Tayeb called for a group from Al-Azhar and Egyptian churches to discuss religious tensions, study the issues of Copts and propose solutions to the state. The first meeting was attended by El Tayeb and Bishop Yohanna on behalf of the Coptic Catholic Church, as well as several state and clergy men. At press time, however, the Egyptian Orthodox Church had yet to appoint an official representative to the group. Wanted: One Obelisk Zahi Hawass, head of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, has once again made it into the headlines, this time demanding the return of Cleopatra’s Needle, a 21.6-meter-tall obelisk in New York City’s famed Central Park. Hawass complains the obelisk is not being properly taken care of at the park. In a letter addressed to the Central Park Conservatory and New York’s mayor Michael Bloomberg, Hawass wrote, “I am glad that this monument has become such an integral part of New York City, but I am dismayed at the lack of care and attention that it has been given. Recent photographs that I have received show the severe damage that has been done to the obelisk, particularly to the hieroglyphic text, which in places has been completely worn away.” Cleopatra’s Needle was originally given to Central Park in 1881 to commemorate the opening of the Suez Canal and is the oldest man-made object at the famous park. The misnamed obelisk is actually a New Kingdom relic from the reign of Thutmosis III, more than 1,000 years before any of the seven Cleopatras of the Ptolemaic era. Hawass continued in his letter, “I have a duty to protect all Egyptian monuments whether they are inside or outside of Egypt. If the Central Park Conservancy and the City of New York cannot properly care for this obelisk, I will take the necessary steps to bring this precious artifact home and save it from ruin.” Brothers on the Pitch A football tournament, with an easy win for Egypt, has apparently not brought the dispute over the Nile waters any closer to resolution, but the matches were a welcome respite to an otherwise turbulent news cycle. Host Egypt won the first-ever Nile Basin Countries’ Championship by beating Uganda 3 to 1. Congo came in third with a win over Kenya. The tournament ran January 5-17, with Burundi, Tanzania and Sudan also participating. No Way, Jose! The Nile Basin tournament was eclipsed not so much by street protests or train shootings as by the trials and tribulations of Al-Ahly’s attempted comeback. The Red Devils fans’ spirits have been crushed in the past few months but brightened up at a ray of hope called Emmanuel Jose, former Al-Ahly trainer who returned as the new coach to try to reverse the fortunes of the club. The first game under Jose’s helm, however, defined a new level of disappointment: On January 22, Al-Ahly squeaked out a tie, one-all, against Makassa, a club playing in the national tournament for football for the first time. It was Makassa’s luck that tied the score; analysts actually believe Makassa had better control of the game’s second half. Even worse, Al-Ahly scored by a penalty kick. Citizens Stamped Who wouldn’t want their picture licked and stuck on an envelope? For those who feel the need to share the news of their newborn, wedding or even the beauty that is their own visage with the rest of the world, the National Post Authority has announced it will launch in a few months a service allowing people to create their own stamps. Celebrating the 145th anniversary of the first Egyptian stamp, the authority will allow people to create a personal stamp with their favorite picture, commemorating certain events or memories. The price of the service will differ according to the nature of the created stamp. A Visionary Decision The one thing that makes traffic jams worse — other than the fact that you’re stuck on Sixth of October Bridge for two hours listening to the desperate honks of nearby cars and breathing polluted air — is the forest of billboards all over town. Cairo Governor Abd El Azim Wazir has come to the rescue by banning billboards from historic Downtown areas, including Tahrir Square and Ramses Street. The decision also applies to the billboards on Cairo-Alexandria road to prevent distractions that lead to accidents. Yes, the advertising industry will suffer; yes, the latest brand of apparel won’t be able to entertain us; and we may never find out about the latest album from the latest pop star, but hey, it means we’ve got more reasons to keep our eyes on the road. Wazir explained the billboards not only distract,but also detract from the capital’s charming, albeit decaying, architecture. The advertising industry objected to the decision by switching off all the billboards’ lights in the city — which seems to be what the governor was trying to accomplish in the first place.
Quotable Quotes “Aren’t you talking about the parallel parliament? Let them have fun.” - President Hosni Mubarak, Al Youm Al Sabe’ and Al Masry Al Youm, December 19 at the mention of a parallel opposition parliament.

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