Egyptian State Goons Round Up Activists and Me
There was a general strike called today all across Egypt to protest the inflation, corruption and general messedupedness in the country and the government’s lack of concern – an Egyptian minister stated the other week that Egyptians can live on one pound and a half (less than 20 cents).
The leftist independent newspaper al-badeel claimed that this was the most widespread demonstration in egypt since the 1919 revolution (the 1952 revolution, whether one supports nasser or not, was executed as a coup). for those who can read Arabic, this blog gives blow by blow updates about the events of today.
As for me, I happened to have the honor of tasting the (desperate and pathetic) gangsterism of the regime today. I was walking past Tahrir Square on my way to AUC to meet up with friends and watch the events unfold, when I saw two other colleagues from AUC – Egyptian girls, standing in the middle of the square, chewing up pieces of `aish (egyptian wheat bread) and spitting the pieces out onto passing cars so as to demonstrate the pathetic nature of the situation with bread (see my previous post on bread in Egypt).
I call them the two Sara’s and salute them for their courage in doing what they did. The general level of political awareness amongst spoiled AUC brats is pathetic, which makes the two all the more admirable. I came close to them so as to photograph and before I knew it, a bunch of plainclothes goons had grabbed us and dragged us all the way along the street, against our will into a waiting van (unmarked), while someone snatched my camera and the kuffiyeh I was wearing.
We were forced into a van that already had other people in it (all girls) and as soon as we filled it, they drove off to the outskirts of Cairo, yelling at us and threatening us along the way. I tried to use the American citizen card and one of the state security men told me he would throw me off a bridge. We arrived to Medinat al-Bu`uth in the outskirts of Cairo where there were other state security agents waiting for us and they started taking the information of everyone down.
One of the Egyptian women with us was crying hysterically – most of the people arrested had been onlookers or passers-by, news reports say that a lot of random arrests took place, not including the arrests of activists or demonstrators.
Some of the state security guys standing outside the van tried to provoke us by engaging in political discussion, chiding us for disrupting public order etc etc.
There was another guy playing the good cop who said ma`laysh this is our job, to which I responded being thugs is your job? They then made 4 of the women get down claiming they would drop them off somewhere else and drove back with me, Sara & Sara and 2 other women downtown.
We reached Maidan Abideen when they told me to get off. I had managed, from text messaging, to get the US embassy on the phone and it possibly made them want to get rid of me. The fact that they did not take us straight to a station or confiscate anything from us after loading us into the van seems to suggest that their orders were to drive us around for a while and drop each person off in a separate place. I did not want to leave with my friends at least, but they both told me to get off.
After some hesitation I decided to get off, but not before taking down the number of the van, which drove the ass-wipes wild (”you want to start again?”). I still am not sure whether my friends have been released – their mobile phones are off – which means they could have been released without the phones or be still held. If anyone knows anything about the two Sara’s whereabouts, please let me know.
Journalists and activists I spoke to are telling me that they should most likely be released tonight or tomorrow morning early. And please, spread the news that Egypt is boiling under the lid of a pathetic, desperate, molding regime that will do anything, shamelessly, to stay in power. A regime that is scared of two people throwing breadcrumbs truly deserves to be called pathetic, especially given that it gets its breadcrumbs from the scraps of US aid.
Update: I just received word that my two friends are still being held, but doing OK.
Update at 2:39 AM: According to above-mentioned blog, both Sara’s have been released. If anyone has any other information about other detainees please call the hotline of the blog: +20-118361000 or email 6april08@gmail.com.
