Violent Riots Hit Egypt
Joyous rioting in the streets. Stores destroyed. Government buildings ransacked. Pictures of the long-ruling tyrannical leader of this middle-eastern country were stepped on. The footage of what was taking place was simply exhilarating, with people expressing the hatred they felt toward their ruler for the first time in over a quarter-century. If you think I’m describing Iraq after the fall of Saddam, you are mistaken. This is happening in Egypt — in a small delta city called Mahalla el-Kobra to be exact — where that aforementioned dictator is still alive and very much in power.
It all started two days ago, when a nationwide strike was called by a number of political parties and worker movements to protest their low income, the skyrocketing cost of living, and the open corruption and blatant nepotism of the Egyptian government. All eyes that day were on Mahalla, which was supposed to kick-start the strike by having its 30,000 textile factory workers go to the factory and stage a sit-in. The security forces in charge immediately rounded up the strike leaders, pressuring some of the weaker ones to accept a compromise. They also arrested and isolated every other strike organizer who wouldn’t budge. The government forced the workers to work at the point of a gun, and announced that the strike was canceled. This rang true until the workers got off work and found their union leaders detained and arrested. They then started confronting the security forces, which lead to clashes that lasted till midnight that day and led to two casualties and some 95 arrests.
The following day, yesterday, around 2,000 demonstrators demonstrated peacefully in front of the police station, demanding the release of their detained co-workers, relatives, and friends. The Egyptian police responded by shooting rubber bullets and tear gas at the demonstrators, and attacking them physically. When word of this reached the demonstrators’ family members and friends, they responded by taking to the streets and attacking the security forces wherever they could find them. The people threw rocks at the security forces, destroyed their cars, and tore down the pictures of Mubarak all over the city. The security forces continued shooting and arresting people, all the while sending plain-clothed police thugs to destroy stores and ransack schools. This was done in order to make it look like as if the people were destroying everything in their path and had to be cracked down on and stopped. The death toll rose to 5 the second night (including a 12 year-old and a 15 year-old), while the arrest total rose to 195. Countless people were injured.
On Tuesday, the government instituted a security clampdown on Mahalla. No one is allowed in and out of the city, including journalists. A 24-hour curfew is in effect, with the threat of immediate arrest and torture for anyone who violates it for any reason. The government also announced that they are looking to detain around 175 more people before this is over. A number of Egyptian NGOs are already starting a legal team and a defense fund to help those detained by the government, and the political forces that organized this strike are planning a second one on May 4th, which is President Mubarak’s Birthday.
The news of what took place in Mahalla is now spreading all over Egypt, with the pictures of their stand against state forces circulating across the internet. There is a sense of dread among those who are following the news. They fear what will happen to those who dare revolt against the government and wonder whether or not the spirit of their revolt will survive the crackdown. There are also those who fear that the severity of the clampdown will frighten the people into complicity and discourage them from revolting again. The answers to those questions are elusive at the moment, but they should be crystal clear to anyone who wonders on the day of May 4th. Whether it’s a fluke or a start of something more, one thing is certain: as far as the common Egyptian is concerned, the people of Mahalla’s revolt has now became the stuff of legend.
Sandmonkey is a pseudonymous blogger living in Egypt. He is the author of the blog Rantings of a Sandmonkey.
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18 Comments
1. Concerned American:Is it safe to visit Egypt? I was hoping to bring my family to your country to Cairo and Luxor in June. Stay safe…
Apr 8, 2008 - 4:00 pm 2. Peter:I just returned with my family from Egypt and felt quite safe there. Strong security everywhere. Best to book a private guide, who will also ensure you get through the sites more efficiently. I recommend Hany Eskandar and, in Luxor, Refat (both through South Sinai Travel).
Apr 8, 2008 - 4:57 pm 3. indga:For a minute there, I thought it was Egyptian Muslims doing their usual riotous tap dance on Coptic Christians. Whew! The Copts must be kicking back and sighing with relief! They get a break from being beaten, having their churches refused permits to repair/rebuild etc.. Guess they must think life in Egypt is sweet during these days of riot.
Apr 8, 2008 - 5:38 pm 4. jmackley:A family who recently visited Egypt gave me an in depth description. They said the squalor and poverty is incredible with trash piled high almost everywhere (no trash pickup). Yes, there’s lots of security but that didn’t make them feel more comfortable necessarily – wondering why it’s so necessary – yet the people were seemed friendly. They described the very high infant mortality rate, the very low lifespan, sewage, pollution, and graft. There’s no real hope for the average person there. I really felt sorry after hearing it.
Apr 8, 2008 - 5:43 pm 5. Violent Riots Hit Egypt | travusbrandy:[...] read more [...]
Apr 8, 2008 - 6:56 pm 6. chardonnay:Why at gunpoint? Good Lord, that’s like being in North Korea. I love Egyptian cotton as much as the next person, but not at the cost of someones life.
Apr 8, 2008 - 7:04 pm 7. joyce:Perhaps Nancy Pelosi could make a visit and fix things.
well i pray to ALLAH that he helps the work over there, i love egypt never been there but i love the peoples way of familys. wish we had that here in usa we be alot better place, good luck to all the people in egypt. my prays are with you
Apr 8, 2008 - 8:56 pm 8. Marian Kechlibar:As much as I wish freedom and dignity for Egyptians, I am concerned as well about the possibility of Islamic Republic of Egypt.
The Muslim Brotherhood may hijack the revolution just like the Khomeinists did with the Iranian revolution of 1979. And this could lead to war with Israel and yet another round of large-scale destruction in the Middle East.
Sandmonkey wrote on his blog that MB is not so popular in Egypt anymore, but seizing of power does not require popularity, only decisiveness and ruthlessness in a moment of power vacuum.
What is the opinion of Egyptians? I am just an Euro reader seeing it all from distance.
Apr 9, 2008 - 1:48 am 9. Rantings of a Sandmonkey » My Article on the riots for PJM:[...] be found here! Permalink • Trackback [...]
Apr 9, 2008 - 6:45 am 10. truthseeds.org » Blog Archive » truthseeds newsfeed 4/9/08:[...] Eliot’s Mess – The Financial Crisis Link 50,000 in Violent Riots in Egypt, No CNN (C No News) Coverage Rising Food Prices Threaten Global Stability Faltering Economy Idles Miles of US Rail Cars The Fed [...]
Apr 9, 2008 - 9:24 am 11. Violent Riots Hit Egypt | sewardtimothy:[...] read more [...]
Apr 9, 2008 - 4:30 pm 12. WOW:Wow- the people who comment on this site are realll dumb and should just keep their mouths clothesd…i hope you private a/c tour takes a wrong turn somewhere and ends up in mahalla…
Apr 9, 2008 - 9:00 pm 13. Andy_in_Cairo:It is very safe in the tourist areas, and big cities, particularly Cairo and Alexandria. There are “Tourism and Antiquities Police” everywhere, and anywhere you travel with a group, you will also be provided a police/military escort, w/ automatic weapons. Egypt has many downsides, but they do know how important is tourism, and they provide the most extensive security I have seen anywhere in the world for tourists. You will not regret visiting Egypt.
Apr 10, 2008 - 1:18 pm 14. Good Neighbours » Egyptian bloggers, photographers, and journalists arrested!:[...] Sam wrote about what was going on here just a couple of days after the rioting but before the bloggers were arrested. 3arabawy posted [...]
Apr 12, 2008 - 3:54 am 15. John Samford:“There are “Tourism and Antiquities Police” everywhere, and anywhere you travel with a group, you will also be provided a police/military escort, w/ automatic weapons.”
Of course they will allow me to go where ever I want, right?
Apr 12, 2008 - 5:29 am 16. Shimaa Gamal:My other question is ‘When Marmaduke (Mubarak, it’s an in joke) flees the mobs and leaves Egypt to it’s fate, will PRESIDENT Bush get the credit for another Regime Change?
Marian Kechlibar
Believe me, I am Egyptian and I know the chances are almost NULL.
Apr 12, 2008 - 2:59 pm 17. heck:Don’t you worry; the chances of having an Islamic Republic of Egypt are NULL. The Iranian Model can’t be applied to the Egyptians because simply the Egyptian people are different.
For more than 5000 years the Egyptians couldn’t live in a discriminative state. It is in the Egyptian nature, regardless how hard we try to discriminate we end up uniting because we all suffer from the same Egypt. It is in the genes.
Can you really enjoy visiting a country while protected by the army with automatic guns?
You could stay at home and watch a documentary on the country and be sure to have known more about it.
Don’t visit Egypt in tourists groups with mass-tourism companies putting bargain offers.
Pick a map and a friend and get a ticket and maybe a hotel reservation.
You maybe get robbed of a few extra dollars by a miserable soul, but hey..it’s part of the country; until that’s changed.
Apr 12, 2008 - 4:33 pm 18. delececake:I am an American with Blonde hair who went to Alexandria with my Egyptian husband last summer. 85% of people stared at me because I look different but they were vistors from the Gulf. Alexandrians are so funny,polite and want to live a life full of laughter regardless of their lives situation. They are so different from us spoiled complaining Americans. I love Egyptians and cannot wait to return. Inshallah. They are good people as a whole.Just see the respect they have for each other when they drive. If it was here in the U.S.A you would be blown away.
Apr 26, 2008 - 7:32 am