Middle East Revolutions: Current Bahrain protests getting violent

**Ksandra** · 2011-01-28 00:38

Originally Posted by Aurara

It hasnt. When i was on semester at sea this summer we had armed security whenever we went out. Was still shitty, esp. in Cairo.

ya that's what I hear when my dad talks to them. It's really sad. My family there is "rich", ie in one of the highest paying jobs non-government (most of them are doctors). And when we went they were living in shitty apartments worthy of trashy welfare here. Not to mention homeless naked babies all over the streets.

I actually refused to eat at Applebees for years after that because there's one on the Nile river, and you actually had to PAY just to go INTO the Applebees. And it was something shit high like 50 pounds, which was chump change for us, but 50 pounds to them is like 50 dollars here. Just to get into an Applebees. It really felt like they were trying to keep the "natives" out which enraged me to no end.

**Tsuko_Asura** · 2011-01-28 00:41

Irrationality seems to be a reoccurring factor.

**Aurara** · 2011-01-28 00:42

Yeah...so much garbage in Cairo. Was like looking in a dump. Even the Pyramids/the Sphinx was dirty(inb4 sand etc) but there were so many children selling trinkets on the side, made me sad to no end, also seeing people in that state of poverty makes you so angry sometimes.

Edit: Least Alexandria library was cool!

**Cantih** · 2011-01-28 01:50

Everything still has yet to play out, but I hope all this doesn't fizzle out like with the Iranian protests.

**Olo401** · 2011-01-28 06:08

Originally Posted by Dareus

Sometimes I like to pretend that things could work out differently.

Kinda like how some people use The West Wing as an example of how things could have been without Dubya? I get it..

Anyways.. back to the topic at hand. Check this out:

http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i1...EgyptChart.jpg

At the same time all cellular service was blocked, and in some places electricity and water has also been cut off. But the people there seem to be going old school - Ham Radio operators are helping to keep at least some long-distance communication open.

Protests inspired by events in Tunisia and Egypt are spreading across northern Africa now, with actions planned in Algeria and Libya.

Oh and this just popped up on my FB feed from one of my friends - Wow. Just hearing breaking news on radio....Egyptian security forces seem to have disappeared from the streets in downtown Cairo. I posted a comment on DK asking for verification.

**Pyro** · 2011-01-28 06:27

Here's hoping this is all mostly settled by March. I don't want any revolts gaying up my trip there.

**Kuya** · 2011-01-28 08:16

Originally Posted by Elesirdur

Here's hoping that the disaffected youth of the Middle East can achieve their aims for properly representative government through civil and peaceful means.

Are you being purposely obtuse?

**Kuya** · 2011-01-28 08:29

Supposedly a video of a protestor getting shot.

**fussel** · 2011-01-28 09:20

Live coverage http://english.aljazeera.net/watch_now/

**Olo401** · 2011-01-28 09:35

I guess the thing about the police withdrawing was only a temporary thing. NPR was reporting that they regrouped and are cutting off Cairo into sections in an attempt to keep the crowds smaller.

**Darus Grey** · 2011-01-28 09:55

Originally Posted by Cantih

Everything still has yet to play out, but I hope all this doesn't fizzle out like with the Iranian protests.

The Iranian protests fizzled out precisely because their means of communication were hamstrung by the government, Egypt saw what happened there and(from the perspective of the government) did the single most effective thing in shutting down the internet.

**Olo401** · 2011-01-28 10:57

http://img440.imageshack.us/img440/5504/prayalex.jpg

Excerpt from audio report:

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.

Edit : Al Jazeera English has live streaming video from Cairo.

**Kainos** · 2011-01-28 11:51

Egypt is a breeding ground for terrorism. The longer they dont have internet/phone service the longer they cant conspire against us.

**Hyan** · 2011-01-28 12:10

http://media.riemurasia.net/albumit/.../781630940.jpg

**fussel** · 2011-01-28 13:02

Originally Posted by Kainos

Egypt is a breeding ground for terrorism. The longer they dont have internet/phone service the longer they cant conspire against us.

Denying people their basic human rights for protecting your "freedom". F-YEAH!

There's over 80 million egyptians, and most of them just want to make a living.

Been there in 2002, I still remember taking cabs to different places and driving over the 6th October bridge.

People on the streets always trying to rip you off, not because they're inherently evil, but because they're poor and desperate. If you're a tourist, they know that you have LOTS and LOTS of money (two dollars buy you a complete meal there, ten dollars get you from cairo to alexandria via train, with reserved places and air condition). At least, the friend of a friend was studying there and so we had a really great guide who knew how to handle basic things like taking a taxi and not getting ripped off. Her being a blonde chick obviously being a foreigner, but living there and speaking arabic fluently added LULZ in some situations with local citizens. XD

There have been whole districts in cairo which had unfinished buildings with people living in them. They just stopped building, because they were out of money.

On the other hand, the government district with palaces all over the place.

If you've followed twitter #jan25 during the last couple of days, it seems that this is really a revolt of the people, and not religously or politically (in terms of foreign politics) motivated.

Here's a tiny bit of HOPE that the recent developments in the middle-east might just be the start of CHANGE for that region that leads to real democracy and stability. This could (HOPEing much here) subsequently lead to an end of the war on terror.

**Dimmauk** · 2011-01-28 13:28

Originally Posted by Hyan

http://media.riemurasia.net/albumit/.../781630940.jpg

Imagine if the Internet and cell phones were disabled in a major country? If that happend in the US, people would fucking lose their minds. I'd be burning cars in hours.

**fussel** · 2011-01-28 13:36

Originally Posted by Dimmauk

I'd be burning cars in hours.

http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/...l-Jaze-007.jpg

From http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/blog/...s-live-updates

**Ksandra** · 2011-01-28 14:20

Originally Posted by fussel

From http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/blog/...s-live-updates

This is awesome:

Mubarak has sent in the army to restore order in Cairo, Alexandria and Suez but protesters cheered the army in some areas, calling on them to side with them against the police (3.43 pm). In some areas the army has done so. Soldiers have shaken hands with protesters in Alexandria and in Cairo. Demonstrators have clambered onto tanks in Suez and Cairo. There have also been unconfirmed reports of clashes between the army and police

**Hyan** · 2011-01-28 14:26

I hope when all of this is over they'll go back to their old awesome traditions and elect a Pharaoh.

**fussel** · 2011-01-28 14:47

Originally Posted by Hyan

I hope when all of this is over they'll go back to their old awesome traditions and elect a Pharaoh.

http://wuselfuzz.de/images/shield.png

One of my thoughts on my visit was "Damn, they had an ancient civilization that built pyramids and had an early written language, and now this place is a shithole."

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