(UPDATE: See pictures of the demo by photographers Victoria Hazou and Nasser Nouri. You can also see one by Tara Todras-Whitehill after the jump.)
The demonstrators, led by the two Kamals (Kamal Khalil and Kamal Abu 3eita), also chanted against Mubarak, his son, and the Egyptian businessmen who have links with Israel. The demonstrators called for war against Israel, abolition of the Camp David agreement, and halting the Egyptian cement and iron exports to Israel (some of which go into building the illegal Zionist settlements in the Palestinian Occupied Territories).
The chanting and the singing went on for an hour, on the doorsteps of the syndicate. Cars driving through Abdel Khaleq Tharwat Street where slowing to watch the demonstrators, and some flashed signs of support.
The Central Security Forces conscripts surrounded the syndicate, but allowed access to the demo site. The brigades of plainclothes thugs were also stationed around the corners standing in lines, carrying batons. Special Operations officers, plainclothes State Security agents and officers from Qasr el-Nil Police Station were also present, but did nothing except monitoring the event.
Kamal Khalil, one of the Revolutionary Socialists’ leaders, called for the release of Sharqawi, Sha3er, Dr. Ayman Nour, and the Muslim Brothers detainees. Kamal reiterated the socialists’ line on Palestine: “The road to Jerusalem, passes through Cairo,” he shouted addressing the crowd. “Our liberation from Mubarak’s rule in Cairo, is linked to the Palestinians’ struggle for liberation from Zionist control, is linked to the Iraqi armed resistance to the American invasion. Every blow we strike against Mubarak here in Cairo, is a plus for the Palestinians and Iraqis. And every blow they strike against the Americans and Israelis is a boost for us. It is obvious now America is not interested in democracy. We never had an illusion to start with they were sincere about their proclaimed goals. Down with America! Down with Israel! Down with the Arab regimes!”
An hour later, the protestors got into the syndicate, where Fathi Hammad, member of Hamas’ politburo gave a speech, describing the plight of the 10,000 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails. “We have no other means, but kidnapping occupation soldiers to free our people from Israel’s prisons,” he said. “There are women and children incarcerated. Talks never brought us anything. The Israelis promised to free the prisoners before, but all what they did is releasing common criminals or those whose sentences are about to finish.”
People killed by Israel in Gaza today: zero
People killed by sucide bomber in Baghdad’s Sadr city today: 66
Demonstration for Gaza: Yes
Demonstration for Sadr City: No
Me scratches head.
While I appreciate your sentiment, BP, actually hundreds of people demonstrated against invading Iraq back in 2003 (many of them were the same ones who are demonstrating for Gaza now.) One of the reasons they demonstrated is that they were concerned that an invasion would lead to to tons of civilian deaths in Iraq.
If one was to demonstrate in solidarity with Iraqis, you’d have to do it on a daily basis, notably:
– Against Sunni / Baathist / Jihadi terrorist attacks
– Against Shia terrorist attacks / “interior ministry death squad” raids, etc.
– Against some of the nasty stuff happening to American soldiers there, such as the recent kidnapping, killing and boobytrapping of two US soldiers.
– Against attacks against foreign workers/contractors in Iraq.
– Against attacks on civilians and human rights abuses carried out by US soldiers and other foreign troops.
As you can see, it would be rather a lot of demonstrating — a permanent demo, really, especially as there is no real solution you can advocate to solve the Iraq problem other than inventing a time machine and preventing the invasion. Staging an occasional, timely demonstration to protest Israel’s bombing of Gaza, however, is quite a different matter.
you have an incredibly good idea there issandr, even though you don’t spell it out. a permanent demonstration. of course you would have to make it look different. there would not be more than 2 or 3 demonstrators at each time. but you could like put your name in for a certain set of hours and go demonstrating. when you leave others fill your spot. in that way you have a permanent demonstration. it of course would not only work in case of iraq. has something like that been done before??
moritz
I dont recall anything like this being done in Egypt myself. I could be wrong. But it’s a very intriguing proposition.
I’m kind of cataloging it in the back of my head (and of course on gmail). Hopefully suitable circumstances will arrise.
the problem is suitable circumstances are there. hopefully not more will arise. but i know. you meant something different.
moritz