Middle East Revolutions: Current Bahrain protests getting violent

[Caiyuo]

AJE is just looping the pundit commentary/interviews now, guessing we won't see much til morning.

CNN said Anderson Cooper will be doing live coverage from 10-12

[Mistress Stowastiq]

Whitehouse

http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog
The White Hose Blog President Obama on Egypt

Posted by Jesse Lee on February 10, 2011 at 7:59 PM EST
Moments ago, the President released the statement below:

The Egyptian people have been told that there was a transition of authority, but it is not yet clear that this transition is immediate, meaningful or sufficient. Too many Egyptians remain unconvinced that the government is serious about a genuine transition to democracy, and it is the responsibility of the government to speak clearly to the Egyptian people and the world. The Egyptian government must put forward a credible, concrete and unequivocal path toward genuine democracy, and they have not yet seized that opportunity.

As we have said from the beginning of this unrest, the future of Egypt will be determined by the Egyptian people. But the United States has also been clear that we stand for a set of core principles. We believe that the universal rights of the Egyptian people must be respected, and their aspirations must be met. We believe that this transition must immediately demonstrate irreversible political change, and a negotiated path to democracy. To that end, we believe that the emergency law should be lifted. We believe that meaningful negotiations with the broad opposition and Egyptian civil society should address the key questions confronting Egypt’s future: protecting the fundamental rights of all citizens; revising the Constitution and other laws to demonstrate irreversible change; and jointly developing a clear roadmap to elections that are free and fair.

We therefore urge the Egyptian government to move swiftly to explain the changes that have been made, and to spell out in clear and unambiguous language the step by step process that will lead to democracy and the representative government that the Egyptian people seek. Going forward, it will be essential that the universal rights of the Egyptian people be respected. There must be restraint by all parties. Violence must be forsaken. It is imperative that the government not respond to the aspirations of their people with repression or brutality. The voices of the Egyptian people must be heard.

The Egyptian people have made it clear that there is no going back to the way things were: Egypt has changed, and its future is in the hands of the people. Those who have exercised their right to peaceful assembly represent the greatness of the Egyptian people, and are broadly representative of Egyptian society. We have seen young and old, rich and poor, Muslim and Christian join together, and earn the respect of the world through their non-violent calls for change. In that effort, young people have been at the forefront, and a new generation has emerged. They have made it clear that Egypt must reflect their hopes, fulfill their highest aspirations, and tap their boundless potential. In these difficult times, I know that the Egyptian people will persevere, and they must know that they will continue to have a friend in the United States of America.

[quannum]

About 2000 protesters are at the presidential palace. One protester tweeted saying "There is no violence, everyone is calm & Army is co-operative". Thousands are now outside the state TV building and planning to spend the night there. Tahrir square remains full of protesters who are not leaving it. Conflicting reports ...saying that Mubarak was meant to say that he passed on most of his powers to Suliman but he didn't!!

Noting ambiguity arising from differing translations of Mubarak's remarks — which left it unclear just how much power Mubarak had turned over to Vice President Omar Suleiman — Todd said officials at the White House "want to believe that Suleiman is in charge" but can't be 100 percent of that.

the protesters aren't dumb

On Jan. 25, security forces predictably deployed by the thousands at each of the announced demonstration sites. Meanwhile, four field commanders chosen from the organizers' committee began dispatching activists in cells of 10. To boost secrecy, only one person per cell knew their destination.

In these small groups, the protesters advanced toward the Hayiss Sweet Shop, massing into a crowd of 300 demonstrators free from police control. The lack of security prompted neighborhood residents to stream by the hundreds out of the neighborhood's cramped alleyways, swelling the crowd into the thousands, say sweet-shop employees who watched the scene unfold.

At 1:15 p.m., they began marching toward downtown Cairo. By the time police redeployed a small contingent to block their path, the protesters' ranks had grown enough to easily overpower them.

[isladar]

Thank you for posting the White House response; it was what it had to be, I think, given their political restraints in either direction.

[Mistress Stowastiq]

No prob. I felt it was a nudge closer to where we want to be and it is hopeful.

Just watching, reading their tweets as they go to and from the Tahrir Sq and hearing their ambitions, I think they are much more encouraged and by the anger. The 2 speeches infuriated me and I am not anywhere near close to understanding what it is like to be there.

Sharif Kouddous from Democracy Now will be on Hardball or rather is on Hardball, I watch the internet clips of it.

sharifkouddous Sharif Kouddous
Will be on Hardball with Chris Matthews in 30 mins
2 hours ago Favorite Retweet Reply

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3036697/

[Callisto]

I'm pretty torn between being incredibly happy to be alive at a time when social media makes dissemination of news near-instant and being incredibly angry that Twitter is being used as a 'news' outlet.

[Colenzo]

Watching todays coverage on CNN has been insane. I can not believe how hard this guy is trolling his people. I wonder how long its going to take them for them to just storm the palace and drag him into the streets and beat the shit out of him.

[quannum]

# Live audio w/young blogger-activist at TV Building: describing situation over background of chanting.

#Jan25 #Egypt 3 minutes ago via web
# LPC in front of TV Bldg: We are sleeping here tonight.

#Jan25 #Egypt 22 minutes ago via web
# LPC with demonstrator in front of TV building. Audio coming shortly.

#Jan25 #Egypt 27 minutes ago via web
# LPC in front of TV Bldg: All we are trying to do here is be determined. We have no desire to use violence.

#Jan25 32 minutes ago via web
# LPC: In front of TV. We are peaceful. Several thousand strong. Asking the army to make a decision. Support #Egypt, or Regime.

#Jan25 34 minutes ago via web
# LPC: Sit in in front of TV building. The presidential guard protecting building.

37 minutes ago via web

http://oi53.tinypic.com/k3wv44.jpg

[Caiyuo]

Gorgeous and professional color pictures from Egypt
http://www.elpais.com/fotogaleria/Eg...puint_1/Zes/14

These are excellent, thanks. Can't remember if I got these from you, this thread or elsewhere, but it seems it's being updated. 3 parts:

http://totallycoolpix.com/2011/01/the-egypt-protests/
http://totallycoolpix.com/2011/01/th...otests-part-2/
http://totallycoolpix.com/2011/02/eg...mubarak-riots/

They are, in fact, some totally cool pix.

oop, looks like everything gathered so far is actually contained within the first link:

UPDATE 10-02-2011: we have added ALL the images we posted in this one topic. Hopefully it will give you a good overview of what has gone on in Egypt for the last 2 weeks and let’s hope Mubarak leaves tonight and our servers hold out.

[Edelweiss]

Whitehouse

Secretaries Clinton and Gates (among others, it's probably an easy guess whom) are on the side of the internal White House divide that favors an incremental transition; unsurprisingly, the younger members of the administration favor something less reserved, essentially. Apparently they were both less involved with the statement (above) than in previous public statements, or so politicos are suggesting.

[Mistress Stowastiq]

Watching todays coverage on CNN has been insane. I can not believe how hard this guy is trolling his people. I wonder how long its going to take them for them to just storm the palace and drag him into the streets and beat the shit out of him.

Yeah it was like they spent all that extra time figuring out how to be as condescending and insulting as possible. He is going to get pulled apart like a bug if he doesn't gtfo. I don't know how long the army can sit there staring at the faces of their fellow countrymen and not flip out, storm the palace and rip him apart. Seeing a couple million+ people hold up their shoes at you is not, NOT a good sign.


I watch a bunch of places at once and yeah it was crazy. So many "Egypt experts" everywhere on the news all of the sudden.

@Edelweiss the white house was in a serious scramble it seems.

[Colenzo]

Rofl yeah "egypt experts" shits so lolable

"We now go to our EGYPT EXPERT CHIEF CORRESPONDENT ADAM SANDLER WITH MORE ON THIS SLOPPY JOE STORY THATS UNFOLDING RIGHT NOW, ADAM?!"

[Edelweiss]

Muslim Brotherhood experts.

[Silenka]

I saw some mummies in a museum and read a book on hieroglyphs, I am Egyptian expert?

I have been following this thread too, really crazy shit, I hope it turns out well for Egypt's people in the end, and ideally sparks change in the rest of the area as well. It's pretty surprising how many people I know who have no idea this is going on at all (on a college campus, I guess I expect better from people in the midst of an educational atmosphere).

Just really hoping it doesn't end in uberviolence.

[Edelweiss]

I saw some mummies in a museum and read a book on hieroglyphs, I am Egyptian expert?

I have been following this thread too, really crazy shit, I hope it turns out well for Egypt's people in the end, and ideally sparks change in the rest of the area as well. It's pretty surprising how many people I know who have no idea this is going on at all (on a college campus, I guess I expect better from people in the midst of an educational atmosphere).

Just really hoping it doesn't end in uberviolence.

It won't, not on the pro-revolution persons' part anyway. All of the violence has come from the regieme, and the protesters have been extremely dlilligent in refraining from violence unless their lives are in immediate danger.

[BardonGaruda]

I'm pretty torn between being incredibly happy to be alive at a time when social media makes dissemination of news near-instant and being incredibly angry that Twitter is being used as a 'news' outlet.

Friend of mine said today that she was really angry that ppl "mis-used" social network sites such as twitter and facebook to incite a revolution. But she watches fox news so doesn't really know what's going on in Egypt.

[Edelweiss]

Friend of mine said today that she was really angry that ppl "mis-used" social network sites such as twitter and facebook to incite a revolution. But she watches fox news so doesn't really know what's going on in Egypt.

I'm not sure if there's a facepalm image to properly encapsulate the dumb here.

[BardonGaruda]

I'm not sure if there's a facepalm image to properly encapsulate the dumb here.

I just went with the SE classic, working as intended. Gave her a synopsis of events in Egypt to date then went back to watching AJE, Sky and BBC.

[Callisto]

Friend of mine said today that she was really angry that ppl "mis-used" social network sites such as twitter and facebook to incite a revolution. But she watches fox news so doesn't really know what's going on in Egypt.

I think it's a valuable tool, but when situations such as this are under incredible scrutiny with every news outlet in the world scrambling to get a leg up on breaking stuff, the potential for them to snatch up something from some random schmuck and run with it without fact-checking the source or the credibility of the poster leading to a massive amount of misinformation at lightning speed really worries me.

That and the potential for someone in a position to have their tweets treated in such a matter to slip mis-word something or not be able to properly convey what they're trying to say in 140some-odd characters to start off with before it gets translated to 80kabillion languages also seems high. Like I said, I'd much rather live now where instant access to information is even a thing, but the potential for things to turn into an alligator fuckhouse in a hurry is very real.

[isladar]

RT @CalliSassageLord wants 2 make #Egypt his "alligator fuckhouse"

To be fair, this is the same thing the media has always dealt with, just on a much larger scale. "Word on the street" has just been replaced with twitter.