860 arrested in two days of Egyptian protests

[Joanne98]

Source: AP

CAIRO—Egyptian anti-government activists clashed with police for a second day Wednesday in defiance of an official ban on any protests. Beefed up police forces on the streets quickly moved in and used tear gas and beatings to disperse any demonstrations.

Security officials said a total of 860 protesters have been rounded up nationwide since Tuesday, when tens of thousands turned out for the largest protests in Egypt in years — inspired by the uprising in Tunisia. They demanded President Hosni Mubarak’s ouster and a solution to grinding poverty, rising prices and high unemployment.

After nightfall Wednesday, more than 2,000 demonstrators were marching on a major downtown boulevard along the Nile when dozens of riot police with helmets and shields charged the crowd. It was a scene repeated throughout the day wherever demonstrators tried to gather.

They were the latest in outbursts of political discontent in Egypt that have been growing more frequent and more intense over the past year. Protests have erupted sporadically over police brutality, poverty and food prices, government corruption and mismanagement, and more recently sectarian strife between Christians and Muslims. Parliamentary elections in November were widely decried as fraudulent.



Read more: http://www.thestar.com/news/world/article/928213--egyptian-anti-government-protesters-pelt-police-with-firebombs

[Turborama]

1. The Guardian: Egypt protests continue into second day despite ban and police presence

Running battles between police and anti-government protesters continued in Egypt for a second day, despite the declaration of an official ban by the government on protests and gatherings, and a massive deployment of police in the country's capital.

Riot police and plain clothes officers armed with staves and bars broke up a demonstration outside one of Cairo's biggest tourist hotels, the Ramses Hilton, on the banks of the river Nile.

Tonight groups of demonstrators and police are still playing a violent game of cat and mouse through the city centre's streets – with protesters quickly re-grouping after being broken up.

The sound of police sirens and detonating tear gas canisters could be heard across the city, in the biggest protests against the regime of 82-year-old president Hosni Mubarak in three decades.

Full article: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/jan/26/egypt-protests-ban-police-cairo

[applegrove]

2. I just heard a 20 year old protester being interviewed on CBC radio.

She was totally into the protest and not scared at all.... very. very brave.

[Turborama]

3. I saw a girl around the same age being interviewed on Al Jazeera English

May be a different person but she had the same characteristics you describe, and was saying that the Egyptians have been inspired by Tunisia and will not stop until they get what they want.

[Catherina]

4. There aren't enough prisons in Egypt to contain the will of the people

(Not original, I read that on twitter).

Rec'd



The Day I Raged

January 26, 2011 by blackvelvetsea




I woke up to a burning sunlight

Silenced howling fear within me

Stood tall before you

Driven by the monster of your creation in me

Your power outweighs mine

But my passion for this blessed land can flood gold mines

You confuse patience with humiliation

I know I had to correct you

...


May Kosba

http://blackvelvetsea.wordpress.com/2011/01/26/the-day-i-raged/