Raw video from the Associated Press
Issandr El-Amrani reports that the internet has been shut down in Egypt as of 1 in the morning before the big demo. And not long after a horrifying AP video went up of a man being shot (above), and of shotgun shells in the streets. Where is Obama?
Mohammed El-Baradei in that video: "The right of peaceful demonstration is an absolute right of every human being. I wish that we didn't have to go to the streets to impress on the regime that it has to change."
Just caught Joe Biden on PBS News Hour squirming about Egypt, rejecting the analogy to eastern Europe, and urging "dialogue." As if Mubarak will give up power that way.
How can you help the Egyptian people?? Go to this campaign by Access to preserve internet access for the brave and inspiring voices in the streets of Cairo, Alexandria, and Suez. There you can donate bandwidth on your site and donate a few dollars (why not 10 each?) "to help keep the protest movement alive by contributing funds for the urgent setup of servers that will help people reach blocked sites like Twitter. 100% of your donation will go to supporting those behind the firewall. Help us by clicking here." There's also a petition at the site.
More Egypt: Here's an organizing guide to "How to Rise Up," apparently for the big demo that will start after prayers Friday. Note the recommended outfit, page 10, hoodie, sneakers, potlid for shield, aerosol can for self-defense (think what the Israelis would do if you whipped out an aerosol can?) and flowers for a silent vigil the organizers seem to be planning.
Also from El-Amrani: an account from a college professor of being stomped and sexually assaulted by Egyptian police during the demo yesterday.
Helena Cobban sees the end of the US-Israel "imperium" in the Middle East.
Liberal Obama is an oxymoron. I look forward to the day when Egypt will no longer supply the guards for the western wall of the Gaza Concentration Camp and the freedom of Gazans. Imagine that a Hamas run Gaza is free before the PLO run West Bank and East Jerusalem!
The story from Akhbar-al-Arab about Gamal Mubarak is being repeated all over the place, including in serious newspapers.
Has anyone seen any independent confirmation?
I saw it in the gurdian.co.uk. website. something about fled to london with 100 piece luggage.
There were reports that the former Tunisian president fled the county with several tons of gold he and his family had looted from the state treasury and loaded on to a cargo plane before fleeing the country.
RoHa, there is no Akhbar al Arab, that was a mistake, such news publication does not exist. However, I saw the same unverified report on Macleans (Canada) and Gulf News. It’s still unverified. But whether the bastard is in the country or not, neither he nor his despicable father have shown their face since the protests ensued, which leads me to believe they are hiding and scared or out of the country.
I tried Goggling “Akhbar al Arab”, and got a lot of sites for Arabic news, but I couldn’t find a U.S. based website with that title.
But if it doesn’t exist, what is the source for the report? Every repetition cites “a US-based Arab website, Akhbar al-Arab”.
The Guardian only spoke of it as an “unverified report” when I looked.
Hopefully it’s true, but maybe the story is a bit of planted psy-ops from tech-savvy Egyptian revolutionaries.
That’s fine too. Make the narrative.
Um, Phil…the first page of the organizing manual says to keep distribution of the manual low-key (email and printed handouts only) so that it won’t fall into the hands of the state. Perhaps you should remove the link?
too late – it’s no longer accessible. :(
i wonder if ahmed moor is still there. i hope there is not a bloodbath in the streets tonight. i am very worried. whenever they shut down communication it becomes much more serious.
There are women in the street!
Israel weighs in: link to haaretz.com
From an Israeli minister who remains anonymous:
Or rather, this is what Israel would do and what they want Egypt to do. Even Obama, on You Tube, has come out in favor of Twitter, if not actual political change.
link to csmonitor.com
“I’ve always said to him that making sure that they are moving forward on reform – political reform, economic reform – is absolutely critical to the long-term well-being of Egypt,” Obama said. “
What a load of crap.
Oh Phil thanks for posting this video. I just left a comment on another article, The Australian is reporting that the man shot at the beginning of the clip has died:
Net down, special forces deployed in Cairo as Egypt braces for protests
Rarely, for The Australian (a right-wing Murdoch publication), it’s a very informative read.
Take care, Sumud.
If you read it seven times in a row, Murdoch will steal your soul.
LOL can we send him to Saudi Arabia also?
Perhaps Biden or Ibish and Goldberg could talk and reason with Mubarak and his thugs, much in the same way they have managed to talk and reason with Israel and its Zionist thugs.
get the mans name who has been murdered here by egyptian police under direction from the tyrant mubarak… this is an equivalent ‘neda’ moment.. we see how the response from the usa leadership is so very different here… obama is no leader if that is all he has to say about this..
It seems to be bursting out all over. Tunisia, Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, and now Yemen.
(I note that the Northern Yemenis are rebelling, and the Southern Yemenis seem to think Aden was a good idea after all.)
OT, but important. If no-one has posted it elsewhere, perhaps a mod could find a home for it.
The text of Turkey’s report on the Mavi Marmara.
link to aa.com.tr
I am on facebook with an Egyptian friend and he is able to call into Egypt on cell phones, everything else is down. Most of us haven’t heard from anyone in several hours.
I have seen twitter chatter about activists in Europe using ham radios:
link to pastebin.com
one of my friends also suggested this for communication:
link to en.wikipedia.org
This suggests that the regime is panicking.
That Helena cobban analysis is spot on. The US has nothing to offer the people of the Middle East, especially the shabab.
The regime is no doubts falling! Where is your bloody Obama? Next will be your turn liar!
Free Free Egypt! Free Free Egypt! Free Free Egypt!
The regime is no doubts falling! Where is the bloody Obama? Next will be your turn liar obama!
Free Free Egypt! Free Free Egypt! Free Free Egypt!