Thursday, January 27, 2011

Egyptian bloggers brave police intimidation

This A Live Blog

Update Sunday January 30
21:16 Al Jazeera has confirmed that Egyptian Security Services came to their Cairo office and told them to stop destroying Egypt and told them to unplug the camera and cease broadcasting

20:50 The Guardian reports that Al Jazeera's Cairo office has been shut] down by the Mubarak regime. It's license's revoked early this morning:

"The information minister ordered ... suspension of operations of al-Jazeera, cancelling of its licences and withdrawing accreditation to all its staff as of today," a statement said.

20:42 Hospitals are urging people to donate blood, according to the latest email update from Human Rights Watch's emergencies director, Peter Bouckaert, in Alexandria. He has also been told of that prison break out.
Hospitals in Alexandria and Cairo are requesting that people come in and donate blood.

The Cairo-Alexandria desert road is blocked because of a prison outbreak at Wadi el-Natroun- several thousand prisoners released. The army is deployed. Residents of local villages say the prison had 8,000 inmates.

The old Cairo-Alexandria "agricultural road" is open and traffic is running smoothly. People in Menoufeyya say criminals stopping cars at night demanding money. But day travel is safe.

Mosques are being transformed into sickrooms for protesters with bullet wounds, according to this report from Jack Shenker and Peter Beaumont.

They write:
This place of worship is little more than a partially-roofed narrow passage between two tall buildings; now it has been transformed into a makeshift hospital, with blood soaking through the prayer mats. The muezzin's microphone – normally used to send out the call to prayer – pressed into use by a thick-set, bearded imam who is shouting out instructions to the medics. Occasionally, he prays.


20:36 Al Jazeera is no longer naming its correspondents in Egypt as state run TV. is reporting that its offices have been closed.
A fire truck tried to enter liberation square but was blocked by the protesters. It tried to proceed but was finally order out of the square by the army


Update Saturday January 29
23:46 Looters are reportedly on the rampage in a number of upper-class neighbourhoods in Cairo. Residents are calling the offices of media organisations asking for help, amid what appears to be a security vacuum. Some have formed committees in an effort to protect their homes and buildings.

23:41 At Least 3 People have been killed trying to storm the Interior Ministry

23:26 The Guardian
More details on the protest in Tahrir Square from AP. The news agency reports that the demonstration began peacefully with few police seen in the crowds.
"But then police opened fire on some people in the crowd near the Interior Ministry and a number of them were wounded by gunshots. It was not clear whether they used rubber bullets or live ammunition.

One army captain joined the demonstrators, who hoisted him on their shoulders while chanting slogans against Mubarak. The officer ripped a picture of the president.

"We don't want him! We will go after him!" demonstrators shouted. They decried looting and sabotage, saying: "Those who love Egypt should not sabotage Egypt!"

23:19 Clashes outside the interior ministry are continuing. As protesters try to break in, police are attempting to drive them back with rubber bullets and tear gas.

23:00 The Curfew has begun

22:50 Al Jazeera Reports of cars being destroyed and
About 1,000 people have tried to Storm the Interior Ministry

22:45 Reports of Heavy Gunfire has been heard at the Printing House of Central Bank in Cairo and at Tura Prison in Southern Cairo

22:41 Residents of Suez are parading the bodies of those killed in Friday's demonstrations through the streets of the city, chanting slogans against President Mubarak and asking him to quit, says BBC Arabic's Moawad Goudah. Residents have also formed local councils in Suez and in al-Mahallah, north of Cairo, to protect the commercial centres, banks and offices from looting.

22:38 Reuters says the Egyptian army has released a statement saying that anyone violating the curfew will be in danger. It is also reporting that an Islamic cleric has gone on state television to warn Muslims that shedding blood is prohibited by religious law.

22:20 The Washington Post has called on Obama to break ties with Mubarak. The editorial calls on the White House to use its considerable influence over the Egyptian president to bring about a peaceful transition of power.
Rather than calling on an intransigent ruler to implement 'reforms', the administration should be attempting to prepare for the peaceful implementation of the opposition platform. It should be reaching out to Mr ElBaradei - who Friday night was reported to be under house arrest - and other mainstream opposition leaders. And it should be telling the Egyptian army, with no qualification, that the violent suppression of the uprising will rupture its relationship with the United States.

22:12 From The BBC
1307 The state-owned Nile News TV is carrying non-stop coverage of the protests, BBC Monitoring reports. The channel is repeatedly airing a video package entitled: "Stay safe Egypt", showing Egyptians of all ages and walks of life with the national anthem playing in the background.
1259 Political activist Gigi Ibrahim in Cairo sums up the mood of protesters for the BBC's Newshour: "People are willing to die for this and they have. They have. The 30 years of repression are pushing people to the extreme."

22:00 When the Curfew comes in 50 minutes The next question is what will the authorities do if the demonstrators fail to disperse
21:21 There is no police presence on the streets of Cairo just the military which has done nothing to stop the demonstrations

20:53 Unconfirmed Reports of Live Ammunition being used in Alexandria against protesters
20:30 A Curfew has been announced to start at 4PM local time which is to effect the whole of the nation.
Live pictures show thousands moving towards Independence Square

19:52: The Chinese government has blocked internet searches for Egypt

18:07 Al Jazeera is broadcasting pictures of protesters gathering in Cairo
People are also protesting in Alexandria


17:34 Tanks are patrolling the streets of Cairo
Protesters are gathering at Independence Square

17:17 Reuters is reporting shots fired by police in Central Cairo
Al Jazeera is reporting 23 bodies taken to the morgue in Alexandria with bullet wounds


Latest Updates are Now At The Top

Mubarak has asked his government to resign but he'll remain as president which the average person is unwilling to accept

There are unconfirmed reports of clashes between the military and the police

Hillary Clinton deeply concerned about the situation in Egypt tis after offering platitudes towards the government saying that Egypt is a strong ally of the U.S. and that there is no reason for concern involving the protests. This after 31 years of unwavering support



Its hard to say how many have been killed or Injured

The Sound of Gun Fire continues

The Police seem to have fallen back in Cairo

Heavy Gun Fire Is Being Reported near the Ministry of Information

Protests continue in Cairo

It Looks as though the NDP building is on FiRE

Five tanks have entered Suez in an attempt to regain control of Suez

The power of the People have Over whelmed the Police

Police riot van has been set alight with protesters trying to dump it into the Nile river

Mubarak will address the country shortly

Protesters are trying to dump police vehicle into to the Nile

The curfew has come into place but protests continue

There is a fire burning nearing the NDP headquarters

President Mubarak has ordered the Egyptian army onto the streets to reinforce the riot police in Cairo

The Al Jazeera camera has been moved so the live pictures now only shows cars crossing the biridge

Riot Police are on the way to Al Jazeera's office in Cairo

Because of government crack down 88% of the population have been cut-off from the internet

Large numbers of Riot Police Vans on Sixth of October bridge in advance of curfew which takes effect in 20 minutes

Police station in Alexandria is on fire as well as dozens of police trucks

Suez: One person has been confirmed killed

State Security has entered the building housing Al Jazeera as well as other international media

Protesters are lining up for evening prayers

What happens after that is unknown

Fighting is taking place just outside of AL Jazeera's offices in Cairo
State television has announced a curfew from 6PM local time to 7Am local time. The curfew will take effect in 30 minutes time

Tear Gas being fired at protesters outside of the Hilton hotel

From The BBC
1517: Dima Khatib in Suez tweets: "Police shooting rubber coated steel bullets into the crowd according to eye witnesses #Egypt #Jan25."
1513: 'Muna' (not her real name, she wants to remain anonymous) writes: I am close to the 6th October bridge, where hundreds of protesters have been clashing with police for the past couple of hours. I have closed my windows completely and my family and I are stuck inside. I am worried for people on both sides as I look out - both the police and the protesters. I am also worried for my friends who are out protesting on the streets. I can't communicate with them because all mobiles are down. Thank God our land-line still works but we are not sure for how long.

If the army intervenes it will change the dynamic of the protests depending on which side the army backs

Two police stations have been set alight and one protester has been killed in Suez

Reports: Live pictures show people swarming around army armored vehicle which is respected by the people and celebrating

Illegitimate is being chanted by protesters

Eye Witnesses and Al Jazeera report body being carried through the streets in Alexandria

One of the questions being asked is; Where is the army?

Pictures show a white van taking someone from the six of October bridge who has been injured

Protesters are not deterred by riot police from looking at live pictures

People are not looking for compromise they are looking for regime change

Confirmed: Protesters have taken control of main square of Suez: Police have given up on controlling the protests

At least two French journalists have been arrested, according to AP.
The daily newspaper Le Figaro says its reporter Adrien Jaulmes was arrested in Cairo and it has had no contact with him since he was detained.

The photo agency Sipa Press said one of its photographers, Albert Facelly, was also arrested in Cairo today. The agency said it had no details on the circumstances of his arrest and no contact with him yet.


Protests in Alexandria are taking place in 10 different locations

Looking at street level pictures of people attacking an armored police vehicle as well as people ministering to those that have been injured
People from all walks of life are taking part in the protests including women and children

Protesters have broken through barriers protecting tourists hotels in Cairo and are being attacked by riot police with tear gas

Riot Squad trucks have been set on fire in Alexandria. Al Jazeera is reporting that police are been helped by protesters in Alexandria saying we are all Egyptians

Peter Bouckaert, from Human Rights Watch, in Alexandria:
The police have now given up fighting the protesters. The police and protesters are now talking, with protesters bringing water and vinegar (for teargas) to the police. Afternoon prayer has just been called and hundreds are praying in front of the mosque in east Alexandria.

Live pictures show riot police trying to retake the bridge but being driven back by protesters

Protesters in Suez have set those detained by police free after storming the jail

Senior NDP leader Mustafa al-Fiqi is saying that what's happening is unprecedented in the history of Egypt. Says that changes need to take place to quell the uprising. Doesn't believe that the government will fall

Main opposition leader has been admitted to hospital after being hit in the head with a rock and is in intensive care

Live pictures of protesters are praying on October 6th birdge
Al Jazeera reporting huge fire in Alexandria but unsure what is on fire.

In Suez 3 police armored vehicles have been set alight It appears that protesters have control of the main parts of Suez

UNCONFIRMED: That female protester was killed by tear gas canister in Cairo

BBC Arabic is reporting that protesters in Ismailia have taken over the local headquarters of Mubarak's National Democratic Party.

The latest take on the clashes from the Associated Press:
A soaking wet ElBaradei was trapped inside a mosque while hundreds of riot police laid siege to it, firing tear gas in the streets around so no one could leave. The tear gas canisters set several cars ablaze outside the mosque and several people fainted and suffered burns. Large groups of protesters, in the thousands, were gathered at at least six venues in Cairo, a city of about 18 million people, and many of them were on the move marching toward major squares and across Nile bridges.

They are demanding Mubarak's ouster and venting their rage at years of government neglect of rampant poverty, unemployment and rising food prices. There were smaller protests in Assiut south of Cairo and al-Arish in the Sinai peninsula. Regional television stations were reporting clashes between thousands of demonstrators and police in the Mediterranean port city of Alexandria and Minya south of Cairo.



Protests have begun in Egypt after Friday prayers: Police have gone after protesters in Alexandria just after emerging from Friday prayers using batons and tear gas.
As for Cairo it is so far quite. The internet has been completely closed down as there are only four companies that control the service.

Reports: Rubber Coated Steel Bullets being used against protesters in Cairo

Al Jazeera is now reporting that dissident Mohamed ElBaradei has been detained by the police
Al Jazeera is showing live pictures of protesters on the Sixth of October bridge. Reports of BBC Reporter injured by police no further details.
Protesters are engaging police with stones in Alexandria: Al Jazeera reporter says that is has become complete pandemonium with protesters trying to disperse police.
4 French journalists are reported to have been injured by police along with an Al Jazeera journalist who is to have been badly injured
P.J. Crowley State Department spokenmen has expressed "Concern"
over Egyptian protests
Mohamed ElBaradei, one of Hosni Mubarak's fiercest critics and a former UN weapons inspector, has been arrested after appearing on the streets in Cairo. Before he was detained ElBaradei claimed that Mubarak's regime was on its "last legs".
Egyptians are blaming the U.S. for the current state of Egypt for supporting Mubarak
Police in Suez tried to use a fire engine to run over protesters which was attacked
CNN reports that its cameras have been smashed
Al Jazeera's Arabic channel has been disconnected
Reports of 40,000 people protesting North of Cairo


Dan Nolan of Al Jazeera Is Reporting that Internet and Mobile Phone Services Have Been Disrupted Across Egypt


Their ranks are young and their voices continue to be heard despite threats

Their voices may not be the ones heard on the streets of Egypt, but what they're saying is coming through loud and clear over the Internet, via websites, blogs and social networking sites, like Facebook and Twitter.
Egypt's bloggers are young, as much of the nation is, with the median age being 24. Noha Atef, 26, started blogging about five years ago, spurred by reports she read about Egyptian women who were being tortured in police stations.
She hasn't experienced such ugliness first-hand, but she and her family are threatened and harassed, she said in a recent interview with The Friday Bulletin.

"Police never beat me, but more than one time summoned me. I was advised by them to stop blogging, while my family were threatened of my disappearance, rape and 'punishment' if they didn’t stop me," she told the publication.


Italian Government Supports Repression In Egypt
Italian foreign minister Franco Frattini said the situation in Egypt was completely different from that in Tunisia, where a wave of street protests toppled the president earlier this month.

The minister claimed there were civil liberties in Egypt and the regime should be encouraged to expand them, Reuters reported. He warned that if the government fell it could provoke chaos throughout the region.
"The situation in Egypt is different. There are civil liberties. It is not a copy of the European model but we are not colonisers of any country, we must not impose our model."

"The stability of Egypt is fundamental for the entire Mediterranean. The biggest mistake would be to think of a change of leadership without having a solution, a proposal, a proper development of the situation. This certainly would lead to chaos.

"We must help the Egyptian leadership to gradually expand the enjoyment of civil liberties, the authorisation of peaceful demonstrations at the same time as guaranteeing stability."

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