Yesterday's clashes in Tahrir square were covered here at WHR as breaking news. A more complete picture of the context and extent of the situation has emerged.
As mentioned in the previous report, the protest began in Cairo as a peaceful demonstration and public mourning by the families of those who have died in the cause of liberating Egypt. An air of gravity was upon the demonstrators and the martyrs's families as they paid their respects to the coffin of a recent victim, Mahmoud Khaled, who died on Monday. He passed in hospital, where he has been for 5 months, since he was struck by a racing US Embassy vehicle during the height of unrest on January 28, remembered in Egypt as the "day of rage." The astonishing incident can be seen in the following video, taken from a rooftop directly above the scene:
The rage the families and friends feel about the fate of their loved ones is understandable. That they have not received any justice after a "successful" revolution and "policy reforms" by a "transitional phase" government only amplifies their anguish and personal feeling of victimization. In the above mentioned case, the US Embassy insists the vehicle was stolen, however; Egyptians more and more look upon the foreign and local elites who run their country for their own purposes as one and the same. Protesters understand well that the storm troopers attacking them in Tahrir square, while perhaps Egyptian by birth, do so with American made tear-gas and foreign weapons, employed through tactics taught by foreign security firms, paid for by foreign "aid" money.
Tear Gas Canister fired at demonstrators - by lilianwagdy
While paying their respects to and demanding justice for the martyrs, demonstrators were met by insults and denied free movement by members of the Central Security Forces. They were tear gassed and tased. It likely did not escape many demonstrators that among the CSF members sneering at them could be some of those who are directly responsible for the deaths and maiming of their friends and family members. Nor did it likely escape the CSF that should demonstrators succeed in reforming Egypt, they will find themselves out of job and pay, and possibly on trial for their actions.
As word of the indignity being paid the demonstrating families began to spread, more and more people began to arrive in front of the Ministry of the Interior and in Tahrir to vent their outrage. Running and pitched battles in the square and adjacent streets ensued as the CSF attacked the crowds; these battles lasting from before dusk until after dawn this morning. Many people on the scene have reported on twitter a vengeful attitude by the CSF. While protesters were pelted with stones and tear gas, they were also taunted and threatened with death over megaphones. Today it has been reported by Egyptian authorities that more than 1000 demonstrators were injured, and more than 100 hospitalised.
Egyptian activists are calling for justice. There have been protests specifically against the military courts, which since the fall of Hosni Mubarak continue to condemn protesters, activists, journalists, bloggers, artists and even doctors who have aided or simply spoken in favour of the uprising. Activists say that without a proper functioning legal system and means of redress, no progress in any other aspect can be made or maintained. The nation will be transfixed tomorrow, Thursday June 30th, as a verdict is delivered in the trial of the 2 officers charged for the infamous beating death of Khaled Said.
The murder of Khaled Said is said to be one of the catalysts of the revolution. The story and pictures of his body circulated and created outrage after he arrested in an Internet cafe and murdered by police in June of 2010. The lack of justice for Mr. Said helped compound an ever present anger at authorities, which finally broke loose after Egyptians took the example of the Tunisian revolution. A facebook group called "We are all Khaled Said" has galvanised and informed the public throughout the revolution. It is reasonable to expect massive demonstrations in light of last night's unrest if Egyptian courts do not return a verdict finding someone responsible for his murder while in police custody. This will likely continue into Friday, which is the day of Muslim prayer and the typical day for protests as many Egyptians do not work Fridays.
A Tide of civil unrest has swept through at least 11 nations in just the past week. Media focus has been on the successes of the "Jasmine Revolution" and developments in Egypt, which is populous, geopolitically significant, and in total upheaval; but nations far and wide are experiencing mass-protests and anti-government demonstrations.
The underlying cause connecting all of these movements is the political and economic disenfranchisement of large majorities and groups of people within their nations. It could be that what now is being witnessed will be seen broadly as a sociological reaction to generally poor ongoing conditions which became exacerbated by ongoing effects of a global economic crisis and major moves in global food and fuel inflation. This situation has threatened a future of abject poverty and destitution on large populations of working poor, unemployed, pensioners, students, small business operators, professionals; anyone with debts or low incomes. In these conditions, any political or economic event can become a symbol of repression which people begin to rally against, venting their anger and will to change in street demonstrations and violent confrontation with security forces.
While the list is dominated by the Middle-East/African-Arab speaking nations of Egypt, Jordan, Yemen, Tunisia, Algeria and Lebanon, there is representation from the Sub-Sahara in Cote D'Ivoire and Ghana, as well as Europe and Asia with Albania, Bangladesh and Thailand. In no particular order:
JORDAN
Last Friday saw thousands of protestors marching in Jordan, and was the 3rd consecutive day-of-prayer protest. Jordan fits the same profile as the other Arab countries in upheaval: A large population mainly below the age of 30, under the strain of rising prices and unemployment, facing a lifetime of economic deprivation and political disenfranchisement. Today, February 1, King Abdullah has dismissed his cabinet and prime minister. His appointment of former general and PM Marouf Bakhit as the new Prime Minister will likely be seen as an empty gesture, as Bakhit is an entrenched member of the political class who was already PM from 2005-2007.
EGYPT
The Egyptian government, led for 30 years by Hosni Mubarak, on January 28 shut down all cell-phone and internet access as it faced popular calls for him and his government to step down during consecutive days of demonstrations. The entire Presidential cabinet has been purged and restaffed. Sources put today's crowds at million strong just in Cairo. Transportation has been severly restricted and night-time curfews are in place but ignored. Protestors have occupied buildings, and the army has refused to use violent coercion against the people whose demands it views as "legitimate." This represents a major break from President Mubarak, who is himself a former Air Force Commander and Chief of Staff. Clashes between demonstrators and security forces have cost more than 125 lives. The protests began in earnest on January 25, a date on which the government annually commemorates the police. Activists organised for that day a massive apolitical demonstration against police brutality, dubbed the "day of rage." The protests, unified by the rally-call "Kefaya!" (Enough!) have gathered momentum and are ongoing at the time of publication.
LEBANON
Angry demonstrations hit the streets of Beirut and elsewhere in Lebanon on January 25. Politics remain as a constant catalyst to demonstrations and unrest in Lebanon, a country which has felt the brunt of 2 wars in the past 3 decades. Lebanese society faces a lack of housing and vital state infrastructure, unemployment and rising prices, a factionalised society along religious, sectarian and political lines, and the constant threat of renewed war from its southern neighbor Israel.
YEMEN
Near daily protests since mid January in Yemen and the capital Sanaa have seen calls from tens of thousands for the ouster of 32-year President Ali Abdullah Saleh. Yemen is an extremely poor nation, located at the southern tip of the Arabian peninsula and across the gulf of Aden from Somalia. America has called Yemen an Al-Qaeda haven and has been making drone attacks inside the country. The country has already been coping with open revolt from rebel and separatist movements. With war, corruption, high unemployment and rising prices plaguing the nation, thousands of people with nothing to lose have turned out to demand rights, justice and new government. One man, Fouad Sabri, lit-himself on fire in an attempted suicide protest, immitating the act which sparked the Tunisian uprising.
ALGERIA
Rioting and protests have continued to errupt for over a month as economic turmoil engulfs the country. Algeria has suffered for a long time with a housing shortage, and the young population is acting out against their impoverished living conditions, rising prices and lack of economic opportunity. Abdelaziz Bouteflika, the 12-year president, has vowed to quash the unrest; along with employing security forces he has put in place a cooking fuel subsidy and has also ordered major purchases of wheat with the hopes of holding domestic food prices down.
TUNISIA
A month of protests which saw the ouster of Tunisia's 23-year president, Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, continue into their 6th week after being dubbed the "Jasmine Revolution." Sparked by the suicide protest of Mohammed Bouazizi on Dec 17th, general strikes and protests against indignity, police brutality, organised corruption and generally lacking rights and freedoms continue. Security forces, out of seeming habit or acculturation, continue to use deadly violence against the crowds, who are now specifically calling for the president's former cronies to resign their posts in various state ministries and the interim government.
BANGLADESH
Bangladesh is experiencing violent demonstrations as its stock market is rapidly collapsing. Since a previous report about it here at World Headlines Review, more street violence has been seen as markets hit new lows and stability has failed to return. Trading was again halted on the Dhaka exchange for a third time, on January 20, to stop rapid and massive declines which threatened a total collapse of stock values. In a seemingly unrelated story, the AFP reports that a police officer was killed and several police and civilians seriously injured in protests which saw 20,000 villagers fighting against the appropriation of their land by the government. For the masses of Bangladeshis, it seems there is no safe place to put your savings, be it stocks or real-estate.
ALBANIA
A country of some 3 million people on the Mediteranean coast of Europe, Albania's social unrest has expressed itself slightly differently from other nations. Factions within the country have fought with each other and the police over political scandals and corruption. On January 21, 3 civilians were killed when security forces fired on anti-government demonstrators. At its core, the unrest is the result of the same rising prices, unemployment and rampant corruption that is swelling the ranks of the uprisings in many other nations.
THAILAND
Anti-government protests by "red-shirts" and "yellow shirts" saw thousands of demonstrators occupying streets and neighborhoods in Bangkok this week. The Thai government has been beset by protests for years now, from groups who seem to recognise no democratic forum for redress except direct action. In December 2008 the Bangkok international airport was occupied by protestors, leaving many tourists stranded and creating international headlines. Since then, protests continue largely in the absence of international attention.
GHANA
Thousands of people demonstrated in the capital of Accra and Kumasi on January 26, calling for government action against poverty and rising food and fuel prices. The protests were peaceful.
COTE D'IVOIRE
In a poor country facing massive unemployment and inflation, a political crisis has sparked violence along social, political and ethnic lines. The UN this week reported estimates of 260 deaths in the rapidly evolving situation. Violence erupted when Laurent Gbagbo, the incumbent President, was defeated in a recent election. Gbagbo has refused the election results and is pitting the ethnic and economic prejudices of his southern support base against the growing anger of the supporters of President-elect Alassane Ouattara.
The above list briefly illustrates a number of locales experiencing unrest right now or in the past week. Haiti and Belarus are two more countries which could be added to the list if the timeframe was widened to the past month. Both countries have been mired in violent protest against corruption and anti-democratic government. In all of these countries, where there are little to no rights or freedom to associate, to gather publicly, to speak one's opinion vocally, where there are no democratic venues for ordinary people to make themselves heard and to seek redress, the only option is to defy the law, defy curfews, and face tear-gas, batons and bullets in the streets.
What seemed to happen first in Tunisia may yet inspire more people to take to the streets, but what is actually happening will continue as long as there is a reason: People facing a bleak future, with little to lose and everything to gain, finding common cause with each other and searching for hope and the power to shape their own destiny
The President of Tunisia, Zine el Abidine Ben Ali, has been driven from office. Following up on a previous article here at World Headlines Review about civil unrest in Tunisia, demonstrations only intensified in the face of the lethal force applied by police and military in attempts to quell the protests. Security forces have killed 30 people amidst the protests according to confirmed official counts, with sources on the ground reporting the death toll as higher than 60, after several instances of security forces firing into crowds. The CBC is reporting (Jan. 14) that Zine el Abidine Ben Ali has fled the country, putting an end to his 23 year reign as President. Reports say Saudi Arabian authorities have confirmed that Ben Ali and his family have arrived there, after being denied entry to France.
Earlier this week there were many last-minute promises by Ben Ali; to step down in 2014; to allow greater freedom of movement and freedom of internet access; that security forces would stop using lethal force against protestors after two dozen had been killed; that rising milk, bread and sugar prices be brought down and capped by law; that opposition parties may legally be formed; but protests continued. Demonstrators did not see Ben Ali's concessions as enough or genuine.
The popular uprising, sparked on December 17 by the suicide protest of university graduate Mohammed Bouazizi continues, even after the president's abdication; with riots and looting occuring in spite of attempts by police and military to protect property and restore order. This could be expected as the uprising began as a protest against broader social and economic conditions in Tunisia, not specifically against the former President, who was a symbol of elitism and corruption. The speaker of Parliament, Fouad Mebazaa, has been sworn in as interim president, and an interim government is being formed with the intent of holding Presidential elections within 60 days, in accordance with the Tunisian constitution.
It remains unclear whether the popular uprising which ousted the president will actually result in real and tangible political change in Tunisia. However, an entire young generation of Tunisians is now experiencing freedom unlike at any time in their lives under the Ben Ali era, they suddenly have freedom of speech and movement, freedom to form political organisations, freedom of press, and freedom from internet censorship and bans on internet websites.
The following video is an ITN report posted to Youtube just after the President's whereabouts became unknown. Pictures and video that are now pouring out of Tunisia in the absence of censorship authorities can be seen on the internet especially at youtube and AJE:
Reports and video footage of violent demonstration and criminality by ultra-nationalist and racist organisations in Russia this week are forming an interesting juxtaposition to recent political protests in the West.
If one is interested in what ‘violent thuggery’ actually looks like, witness this week’s outburst of unrest in Moscow: Rampaging gangs seeking racist revenge against non-Slavic Russians after Moscow police failed to hold in custody four suspects in the murder of a Moscow Spartak football hooligan, who died in a post-match brawl with immigrants from the North Caucasus region. These ‘thugs’- in the true sense of the word- are affiliated with nationalist ‘football firms’ and are quite used to attacking police at football games as a matter of sport. The firms collectively have thousands of members across the country and are loosely organised and armed: mostly with edge weapons; sticks and truncheons; in some cases tazers. They have over the past many days readily engaged police en-masse in Moscow and attacked bystanders who were of Central Asian or similar ethnic extraction. An ethnic-Kyrgiz man has been stabbed to death in revenge, and dozens of innocent ethnic minorities were ruthlessly beaten by the crowds, videos showing police attempting to protect bystanders, not incriminate them by kettling them with demonstrators for hours until they are provoked into active resistance by hunger, exhaustion, confusion, claustrophobia and police taunts, as has been seen in Pittsburgh, Toronto, and very recently London.
The scenes in Moscow reveal what it looks like when police attempt to contain and quell throngs of actually violent citizens, not the notional ‘thugs’ of Western political description. Pale in comparison are the so-called ‘violent protests’ in the West; rather the recent demonstrations in London and Toronto set next to the type of violence in Moscow (as seen in the video embedded below- watch from 0:40) seemingly depict Western police as aggressive, well-trained and highly equipped paramilitary forces acting on marching orders to illegally suppress freedom of movement, expression and peaceful demonstration.
The ‘football firms’ of Russia that brought the fight to Moscow this week are largely populated by unemployed or otherwise economically marginalised ex-soldiers steeped in a culture of racism and violence; while the demonstrators jailed and humiliated in Toronto were a mish-mash of peace and anti-poverty activists, political agitators, trade unionists, students, professionals and public employees. There are virtually no women in the ranks of the Moscow rioters; perhaps the fairer sex in Russia refuses to take part in such sinister activities. In contrast, thousands of peaceful female demonstrators hit the streets of London and Toronto, scores of whom were illegally detained, strip searched and sexually humiliated; in some cases by female police indoctrinates. So much for feminism.
Western leaders have taken to characterizing political demonstrations in their countries as ‘violent thuggery’. In light of the actual ‘violent thuggery’ witnessed in Moscow this week, this terminology seems a crude semantic deception for media consumption, considering there is virtually never intent of violence on the part of Western demonstrators, only occasional acts of vandalism by ideologically motivated dissenters and the occasional dilettante or working class person feeling at odds with the system. There is a well established legal differentiation in the West between breaking heads and breaking windows, a distinction which should never be blurred.
The BBC reports: “Simon Hardy, of the National Campaign against Fees and Cuts, said police "kettled" and beat some protesters and then accused anyone who tried to resist of being violent,” while the police justified such tactics, saying that “officers acted with professionalism and selflessness and that, if they had not, the consequences would have been ‘unthinkable’.” (Watch kettling at the Toronto G20 Protests in the video embedded below) Apparently within the realm of ‘thinkability’ is the provocation of thousands of demonstrators by truncheon beatings, mounted police charges and overturning disabled protesters in their wheelchairs. In Russia, there is no organised statement of purpose or ethic among the perpetrators of the violence beyond confused bigotry, while interestingly Vladimir Putin is on record admonishing both the criminality in Moscow as well as the negligence of the police in letting the murder suspects go free; the event that sparked the violence. While the politics of relations between the government and the right-wing football firms-cum-street militias is fraught with allegations of corruption and social subterfuge, there is a clear distinction between the government’s recognition of racism and social problems in Russia and Western governments’ us vs them attitude; their blind support for and unwillingness to inquire into police abuses, and their complete denial of any validity in the concerns of its citizens who are willing to put their personal safety at risk to make their voices heard.
All arguments and justifications of belligerents aside, there is clear and immense contrast between the hemorrhaging violence in Russia and the demonstrations typical of Western protest movements, in spite of the similar language that media and government outlets use to characterize them; ie. 'criminal' 'violent' 'hard-core', etc. Furthermore, Russian police appear decidedly less confrontational set next to Western police forces, who appear increasingly prepared, trained, armed and willing to employ violence against non-violent demonstrators and witnesses, for no other obvious reason than to discourage corroborators and media onlookers, to silence public opposition to government policies and to quash expressions of democratic freedom which manifest at peaceful anti-war, anti-globalisation, anti-privatisation and anti-austerity demonstrations.
The first embedded video above depicts at 0:40 Russian police corralling minorities at a van who have been beaten by the mobs, who eventually chase them down and continue to attack the bewildered and defenceless victims even while they are in protective custody. Also depicted is a pitched battle between the rioters and police. The video was obtained from youtube, and can be found at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X8wj_69OkHo, where links to other videos can be located. The second video depicts 'kettling' by Canadian Police of hundreds of peaceful demonstrators in a large square and the tightening of a kettle around a few dozen others. This video is also hosted on youtube, at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=280hrwKUqKg&feature=related
