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Since 2008 – Progress Through Politics

The Calm: An Egyptian Open Thread

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In Cairo and across Egypt things are settling into a Next Phase it would seem. Enough time has passed that people on all sides – including musicians – have been able to think and produce and prepare for…?

What’s your take, Mooses? Is it The Calm, and if so, what is it Before?

Update Al Jazeera Liveblog is a great source for tracking the general trend.

Good summary in this video coverage:

Consider this an Open Thread.

Largest crowd yet.


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/ 33 Comments

33 comments

  1. HappyinVT

    I’ve heard that the crowds are still quite large; they are planning larger demonstrations for Tuesdays and Fridays so folks can have some semblance of a normal life if they so choose.

  2. Stipes

    I’m still not feeling optimistic about the outcome.  The regime’s various security and military incarnations have the protesters surrounded and controlled into central locations for the most part now.

    The Army is not going to give up their power and perks very easily, especially since they also own a large portion of Egypt’s manufacturing base.  Any real democratic movement would probably also want to carve out pieces of the Army’s commercial holdings for the overall public good, and that will be very difficult.

    That doesn’t mean that there won’t be some reforms that come out of this, because there probably will be.  Just not what the protesters were demanding two weeks ago.

  3. Chris Blask

    BSides Cairo. These are events that have sprung up recently (1 in 2009, 6 in 2010, 20+ in 2011?) that are held by and for the Infosec community.

    September might be a good time for it, after the elections (if that is the path things take). Enough time between now and then for things to settle regardless, and perhaps a small note of expectation that things will be alright.

  5. jsfox

    have been added to the mix.

    CAIRO – Protesters demanding the overthrow of President Hosni Mubarak appeared on Wednesday to have recaptured the initiative in their battle with his government, demonstrating a new ability to mobilize thousands to take over Cairo’s streets beyond their headquarters at Tahrir Square and to spark labor unrest.

    And the US seems to be upping the pressure:

    Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. called Mr. Suleiman to ask him to lift the 30-year emergency law that the government has used to suppress and imprison opposition leaders, to stop imprisoning protesters and journalists, and to invite demonstrators to help develop a specific timetable for opening up the political process. He also asked Mr. Suleiman to open talks on Egypt’s political future to a wider range of opposition members.

    both quotes from same NYTimes article:

    http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02…

  6. jsfox

    http://andrewsullivan.theatlan…

    Google exec Wael Ghonim, who rallied protesters to near unprecedented levels yesterday:

    Ghonim is the formerly anonymous administrator of the We Are All Khaled Said group, which sparked the calls for nation-wide protests to call for change. The group is named after Khaled Said, a young man from Alexandria murdered at the hands of police. His death, last June, caused widespread demonstrations and rage against police torture and the ‘use of Emergency Law to terrorise citizens.’

    After his release, Ghomin, gave a candid interview to Egyptian channel Dream TV. Blogger Mohamed El Gohary translates Ghonim’s interview here. Ghonim’s tears as he mourned the victims killed by Mubarak’s regime during the protests, is believed to have rallied even more people towards the cause.

  8. DTOzone

    We support freedom and democracy everywhere in the world…when it suits us.

    A solid majority, 58 percent, backed a cautious approach because democracy could result in the election of Islamist governments that do not back U.S. interests. About one-third, 32 percent, said the United States should always support democracy in the Middle East, regardless of the risks.

  10. Rashaverak

    http://english.aljazeera.net/n…

    Labour unions boost Egypt protests



    Thousands of factory workers stay away from work as pro-democracy protesters continue to rally seeking Mubarak’s ouster.

    Egyptian labour unions have gone on a nationwide strike, adding momentum to pro-democracy demonstrations in Cairo and other cities.

    Al Jazeera correspondents, reporting from Egypt, said around 20,000 factory workers stayed away from work on Wednesday.

    Al Jazeera’s Shirine Tadros, reporting from Cairo, said that some workers “didn’t have a political demand”.

    “They were saying that they want better salaries, they want an end to the disparity in the pay, and they want the 15 per cent increase in pay that was promised to them by the state.”

    However, Tadros also said that some workers were calling for Hosni Mubarak, the Egyptian president, to step down. [….]

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