Tunisian Revolution and the Middle East

[visionary]

http://blogs.aljazeera.net/asia/2011...end-corruption

Will Indian protests end corruption?
By Prerna Suri in Asia on April 8th, 2011
It is being called India's version of Tahrir Square after Egypt's protests that toppled the president. Jantar mantar, the country's historic stretch, is flooded with thousands of Indians. They're singing, chanting, dancing, painting, holding up placards in 45 degrees heat - all for one cause: corruption.

"Politicians are getting richer and we're paying the price for it. We don't have jobs and while we're suffering they're living it up," says 22-year-old Swati, a university graduate. She's supposed to be the face of 'shining India', where opportunities are available in plenty, but her presence in these protests is defying that image.

In the last few months, ordinary Indians have had enough. A barrage of corruption scandals revealed how billions, not millions, of dollars were pocketed by politicians in collusion with businessmen and beauracrats. From favouring contractors in the Commonwealth games to selling under-priced telecommunication licences to favoured companies - Indians have seen it all. Until now, people had no outlet to vent their anger or frustration.

Then came Anna Hazare, a 72-year-old former army soldier. He turned to social activism after seeing firsthand how corrupt officials exploited people in his village in the 1960s. Since then he's been seen as one of those activists who actually walk the talk. Now he's become the face of this rising anger.

He's pledged to 'fast until death' (this is the land of Gandhi, after all) until the government accepts a new anti-graft piece of legislation. And his resolve seems to be working. An entire nation's collective conscience seems to have been pricked with this man's actions.

"Anna is an inspiration for all of us. We need less talk and more action before our country is completely ruined. This is not the freedom we fought for," 52-year-old Raj Shekhar tells me.

[visionary]

Some more news from Egypt. From watching CNN a little while ago.
The crowd in Tahrir Square is still very large and they seem to have blocked off some streets leading to it and plan to sit-in overnight at least. Part of this may be to protect the soldiers who have supported them from being arrested.

Earlier today 15 uniformed soldiers/officers were in the crowd rallying people against the military leadership and calling for it to give way to civilians and stop harassment tactics on the people and protecting Mubarak and his close allies. They asked those in the crowd from the military to raise there hands and dozens did so. They then said that if the military council wants to court-martial them and execute them they can do so in the square in front of the people and the world.

Some pictures from Tahrir Sqaure:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mosaabe...7626331427249/



---------- Post added April-8th-2011 at 06:30 PM ----------




This is getting beyond ridiculous.
Someone just needs to arrest him or take him out.
I thought the UN said he had almost no forces left?

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/...73014Z20110408

U.N. says Gbagbo striking back in Abidjan

(Reuters) - Forces loyal to Laurent Gbagbo, besieged in his Abidjan residence, have retaken ground from rival presidential claimant Alassane Ouattara, the United Nations said on Friday.

France said Gbagbo's forces had fired at the residence of the French ambassador in Abidjan, prompting counter-strikes by French helicopters.

In another sign Gbagbo has not yet been defeated, his RTI television, silent since fierce fighting broke out in Abidjan this week, came back on air broadcasting an appeal for support.

"The regime of Gbagbo is still in place, a strong mobilization is required by the population," it said.

Gbagbo, who has refused to cede power to Ouattara despite U.N. certified results showing he lost a November election, remains isolated in the bunker where he has sought refuge from a concerted assault by Ouattara's troops.

Only three days ago, his defeat had appeared imminent and talks took place between the two sides.

"They clearly used the lull of Tuesday as a trick to reinforce their position," U.N. peacekeeping chief Alain Le Roy told reporters after briefing the U.N. Security Council. "There is still fighting going on but there is a stalemate."

He said they now fully controlled the upscale Plateau and Cocody districts and were edging closer to the Golf Hotel, where Ouattara has been holed up since the November 28, 2010 election.

"While we speak they may be very close to the Golf Hotel."

French helicopters struck Gbagbo's compound in the early evening, hours after an attack by Gbagbo's forces on the nearby residence of the French envoy, witnesses said.

[visionary]

BREAKING NEWS!


I am seeing all kinds of reports right now on twitter of soldiers and riot police breaking into Tahrir Square, arresting protesting soldiers, and possibly firing on the crowd. People in nearby hotels are cowering in fear and talking about massive amounts of gunfire going on outside. From all reports it sounds as if some sort of massacre is going on in Tahrir Square right now. It seems that the Egyptian army has declared war on the people of Egypt.

---------- Post added April-8th-2011 at 10:12 PM ----------

Too many rumors and hearsay going on right now.
I'll leave most of it until more concrete reports come out.

Here's some apparent videos from the scene though.

http://twitter.com/#!/acarvin

One of the first videos to come out of #Tahrir tonight. Very tense, lots of chanting. Don't hear shooting tho. http://youtu.be/E5pVU2HvgVs
16 minutes ago

[YOUTUBE]E5pVU2HvgVs[/YOUTUBE]

Sounds of gunfire in #Tahrir captured in the latest video to be posted. http://youtu.be/G793yhiMA5k #egypt 17 minutes ago

[YOUTUBE]G793yhiMA5k[/YOUTUBE]

#Tahrir video # 3: Crowd yelling, making lots of noise. Riot police approach. Hell starts to break loose. http://bit.ly/fvYjqh 13 minutes ago

[YOUTUBE]1b7JfE7ia9o[/YOUTUBE]


Disturbing as hell.

http://twitter.com/#!/TeaEveryPlaceIB

People are pushing back towards #tahrir, army/police opening gun fire again. Protesters are organizing. #jan25 45 seconds ago

http://twitpic.com/4iiv5k

Army ****ers who attacked #Tahrir

http://twitpic.com/4iitzo

Pic of #Tahrir now. Almost empty

http://twitter.com/#!/degner

New photos from the last stand of protesters on Talat Harb Street. #Egypt #Tahrir http://bit.ly/hwjWYe

http://www.incendiaryimage.com/sketc...-with-violence

[visionary]

Heavy gunfire around Tahrir Square has been bursting out every few minutes for the past hour or so after the attack on the square.
Neither CNN or AJE is covering it at all though. Too busy talking about the budget.

People watching coverage on Al Jazeera Arabic however can hear large amounts of gunfire in the background of phone calls.




---------- Post added April-8th-2011 at 11:27 PM ----------




Al Jazeera English finally made some mention of it and showed part of one of videos from Tahrir Square...then moved on to other news...









---------- Post added April-8th-2011 at 11:42 PM ----------



What the **** is going on in Cairo right now?

http://twitter.com/#!/ianinegypt

Gunfire now coming from multiple areas in downtown Cairo. Heaviest I've heard since the revolution. #Egypt 42 minutes ago

http://twitter.com/#!/meshelmay

just heard a loud cheer from the protesters.. hmmmm... ??
8 minutes ago

and again... a cheer... at least it sounds like a cheer. ut-oh another battalion of huffing & puffing riot police on their way... 8 minutes ago

holy ****. molotv cocktails & gunfire rite outside... 7 minutes ago

molotov cocktails or just large amounts of glass -- not sure, but it was enough to chase the riot police down the street... 4 minutes ago

holy ****ing **** 3 minutes ago

@Tom_Vee too scared to talk right now. huge gun fight right below me. i'm not kidding. 3 minutes ago

---------- Post added April-8th-2011 at 11:51 PM ----------

http://twitter.com/#!/meshelmay

just tear gassed 6 minutes ago

[visionary]

http://english.aljazeera.net/news/mi...821599558.html

Egyptian army breaks up protest with force
Gunfire reported as soldiers storm Cairo's Tahrir Square, where protesters called for prosecution of former officials.
Evan Hill Last Modified: 09 Apr 2011 02:45

The protesters had been joined by perhaps as many as 20 military officers, who had been under orders not to participate. Demonstrators stayed in the square past curfew, which run from 2am to 5am, saying they wanted to protect the officers who joined.

When security forces stormed the square, some of the protesting army officers managed to escape, while others were arrested, witnesses said.

Loai Nagati, a student, told Al Jazeera that military police and central security forces took some protesters and beat them. Speaking while gunfire echoed in the background, Nagati said nobody had been shot. Some of the army officers who joined the protests were arrested by security forces, Nagati said.

Witnesses said ambulances could be heard in the vicinity of the square after the assault.

Amr Bassiouny, who was standing at the square's south entrance near the old campus of the American University in Cairo, told Al Jazeera that hundreds of soldiers backed by eight armoured vehicles entered the square from that direction at around 3am.

The soldiers formed a semi-circle around the south end of the square and advanced toward a tent in the middle, where the protesting army officers had been kept. Soldiers could be seen tearing down the tent in amateur video posted on YouTube.

For 10 or 15 minutes, the protesters and soldiers faced each other, said Sanaa Seif, who had been in the square since 11pm. Protesters chanted "Peaceful, peaceful," and "The people and the army, hand in hand," but then the soldiers moved forward again, firing "non-stop" into the air, she said.

Some security forces beat protesters with wooden batons, but Seif said she didn't see them use tasers or open fire on people.

Most of the protesters fled after the army entered the square, witnesses said. Bassiouny ran to the west side of the square, which leads to Kasr el-Nil Bridge, and found more troops entering from that direction. Seif fled in that direction as well and joined other protesters who attempted unsuccessfully to regroup and come back into the square.

Other Central Security and army forces were stationed to the north, by the Egyptian Museum, which military police have turned into a makeshift detention center in the weeks since Mubarak stepped down. In recent weeks, activists have accused the army of making arbitrary arrests, abusing and torturing prisoners, and subjecting detainees to rapid military justice - all complaints that fueled mass anger against Mubarak's government.

http://twitter.com/#!/meshelmay

brave girl protester in the mix....17 minutes ago

a few lone protesters egging police on near entrance to museum -- not sure why riot police retreated. # of protesters seems small 11 minutes ago

police/army have withdrawn behind their compound @ the museum. not sure why.. but they have.. have pix will post soon. 7 minutes ago

protesters reconvening. few random gun shots. ambulance sirens. 4 minutes ago

protesters just drove massive truck down the street (filled w/ what looked like, wire)??... standing on the truck, cheering, chanting... 2 minutes ago

hearing glass & protesters taking over the streets. it actually does not sound good. 2 minutes ago

protesters torching trucks in #Tahrir square. Sscary feeling descending on #Cairo. 3 minutes ago

OK, I want to get out of here. Now. 3 minutes ago

http://twitter.com/#!/degner

An Army bus is burning in #Tahrir as a few hundred protesters try to rebuild their barricades. Army isn't visible, Police lined near museum 8 minutes ago

http://twitter.com/#!/AmrBassiouny

military trucks burning in #tahrir. We ****ed them and the midan is ours again . Thousands here more coming 4 minutes ag

correction: military left the square on their own and left two large truck that are being burnt. #tahrir 2 minutes ago

---------- Post added April-9th-2011 at 01:02 AM ----------

Seeing some people on twitter complaining about the actions of the protesters, pretty much blaming them for going beyond politics and acting like thugs and vandals.

(on the other hand this is exactly how most protests go after Police/troops attack crowds of peaceful protesters Personally I don't get what they want them to do, just give in to the military/police and let them arrest, detain, beat, harass, molest whoever they want?)

Anyway, here's a picture of Tahrir Square this morning after protesters started retaking it.



In other news, the military has said the protesters were all Mubarak ruling party remnants. Clearly not the case, and it just makes the military looks worse to lie.

[visionary]

http://twitter.com/#!/meshelmay

people on streets chanting... about what I'm not sure. The air is full of smoke.. somehow it's calm(er).. 10 minutes ago

the current scene in #Tahrir http://twitpic.com/4il08u
7 minutes ago

http://twitpic.com/4il0r9

directly below me. hope they don't set it on fire.

the finale of a very long night http://twitpic.com/4il3a9
2 minutes ago

[Redskins28339]

BAHRAIN

This is what the Bahraini government is doing to the people they govern. The following are Tweets from @angryarabiya as she describes what happened when Bahraini authorities entered her house.

I did not edit nor alter the tweets. Each double space = 1 tweet.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

THEY JUST CAME! They took my dad, my dads blood is still on the stairs! They hit my dad so much! They beat him and he cudnt breathe

they broke the doors, all wearing masks. They took my father and husband and brother in law.
they beat up my other brother in law mohammed almaskati, and then threw him in a room and told him not to come out

@ahmadfahmy yes, MY father, MY husband, MY brother in law. they hit me when I went after my dad

we knew they were coming, they had gone to my fathers apartment first and taken my cousin who lives in the same building

we all changed and my father told us to stay calm when they come, he told us not to interfere if they take him so they dont hurt us

we heard door of the building being broken, then the door of the apartment. my father went straight to the door, they started shouting

the one shouting didnt speak arabic, he kept telling my father to get on the floor, my father didn't get a chance to say anything

they held my father from his neck & started dragging him down the steps. they lay him on the floor between the steps & started beating him

He was covering his face while more than 5 men were beating him at the same time, I heard him say he cant breath

I ran after them & told them to stop beating him, I tried to get to my father. they held me & kept shouting at me to shutup

I said "he will go with you, you dont need to beat him" that when I saw my husband & brothers in law being dragged down

One of them grabbed me form my shirt and started dragging me up the stairs, my mum was begging him to let me go

I started shouting "God will show you on Judgement day" I kept shouting "intooon 7a66ab jahanam"

another was shouting, if she doesnt shutup bring her down too.

they pushed me, my mum & sisters in a room, n they shouted at us. one of them closed the door and then opened it real quick in my face.

then they locked the doors on us, and took the men to the lower apartment, lay them on the ground and started beating them

they kept referring to my father as "the target" and my husband "the son in law of the target"
my brother in law Mohd Almasqati who they left here saw that my father was unconscious.

When they unlocked the door, I ran down & saw drops of blood on stairs. My fathers blood, my brave heroic fathers blood

I knelt on the stairs and kissed the spot where I saw them beat him as he said he cudnt breath.

I am sitting in the mess, the door is broken and we cant close it. My youngest sister is trying to clean and weeping.

I will go sit with my mum, she keeps saying be prepared for the worse. If any1 can do anything for my dad, husband & brother in law, plz do

Alkhalifa, YOU CANT BREAK US, U CANT BREAK US. WE WILL ALWAYS STAND STRONG AGAINST YOU.

My father is Human Rights activist Abdulhadi Alkhawaja, my husband is Wafi Almajed, and my brother in law is Hussain Ahmed Hussain.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Link: http://chirpstory.com/li/1085

The BBC, Al Jazeera English, the Associated Press, and others reported this story

[visionary]

BAHRAIN

This is what the Bahraini government is doing to the people they govern. The following are Tweets from @angryarabiya as she describes what happened when Bahraini authorities entered her house.

I saw that yesterday. The government's been doing a lot of arrests and kidnappings in Bahrain. They don't seem to want any kind of dialogue with the people now.

Bad stuff going on in Yemen today too.
In Taiz I'm seeing reports that more people were shot by security forces again.
In Sanaa peaceful marching protesters were heavily teargased and then laid into by plainclothes security goons who also harassed and robbed reporters.



AIl this news is getting so depressing. Between Gaddafi's forces being close to entering the heart of eastern Libya and all the people getting attacked and killed by their government in Middle Eastern countries, Israel and Gaza, Gbagbo's indefinite holdout, Nigeria continually moving back their elections and now bomb attacks going on there....

[visionary]

http://english.aljazeera.net/news/mi...714209594.html

Syrian security forces 'fire on funeral'
Fresh violence is said to have erupted as residents in Daraa bury those killed in Friday's protests.
Last Modified: 09 Apr 2011 14:56

Syrian security forces opened fire on mourners near the old Omari mosque in the southern border city of Daraa following a mass funeral for dead pro-democracy protestors, witnesses told the Reuters news agency.

The witnesses said security forces used live ammunition and tear gas to disperse thousands of Syrians who were chanting freedom slogans after assembling close to the mosque in the old quarter of the city near the border with Jordan on Saturday.

This comes after residents in the Sunni district of Latakia said security forces used live ammunition in the early hours of Saturday to disperse a pro-democracy protest by hundreds of people there.

Protests have spread across Syria, challenging the rule of President Bashar al-Assad, and dozens of demonstrators have been killed.

A Syrian rights group - the National Organisation for Human Rights - has said at least 37 were killed across the country on Friday alone.

The group said that 30 people were killed in the southern city of Deraa, the centre of protests. Three more people died in the central city of Homs and three in Harasta, a Damascus suburb, as well as one in Douma.

"Probably the protests yesterday were the most widespread since they began less than a month ago," Al Jazeera's Rula Amin said from the capital Damascus.

"People [in Daraa] are telling us thousands are expected to take part in the funerals of those who were killed and they insist on their version of events that it was the security forces who shot at their sons."

"What is happening in Syria is a flagrant violation of [human rights]," the National Organisation for Human Rights said in a statement.

"The Syrian security committed [in Daraa] what could be called a crime against humanity ... It fired indiscriminately on protesters and killed and wounded tens of them."

---------- Post added April-9th-2011 at 02:27 PM ----------

Pictures from Yemen:

http://yemenrightsmonitor.blogspot.c...a-by-raja.html

[visionary]

Al Jazeera English television has been reporting for about a half hour now that Gbagbo's forces in Abidjan have launched attacks on the hotel where elected president Ouattara has been staying under UN protection. The UN troops were able to push them back, but now there are reports of mortar fire on the hotel from farther away.



At some point it seems like the UN/French forces will have to bomb Gbagbo's compound and end this.


LMAO! A few minutes after I reported this, Reuters mentioned it on twitter.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/...7382SU20110409

"Mortars targeting Golf Hotel," the official said in a text message, on condition of anonymity. "Now."

The U.N. official said there were no fatalities at the hotel in Ivory Coast's main city and that the mortar fire appeared to be coming from the presidential palace area in Abidjan.

That seems like a long distance. Take them out in any case.

[jpyaks3]

Just got back from Tahrir Square, lots of people still there. Protests are probably going to continue for a while, there was barbed wire/blockades set up at all entrances to Tahrir Square. Definitely a different feeling then before.

[visionary]

Just got back from Tahrir Square, lots of people still there. Protests are probably going to continue for a while, there was barbed wire/blockades set up at all entrances to Tahrir Square. Definitely a different feeling then before.

Any comment on what happened last night and military explanation today?
I'm seeing different opinions on twitter.
Personally I don't put much stock in the military after their lies and statements today.




(in other news, I just added a bit more info from Reuters on the Abidjan mortar situation in my post above)

---------- Post added April-9th-2011 at 03:53 PM ----------

http://twitter.com/#!/meshelmay

Tahrir right now.. 9PM http://twitpic.com/4ius8y
21 minutes ago

Cairo museum/army compound right now http://twitpic.com/4iuvr2
15 minutes ago

earlier today... http://twitpic.com/4iuyqv
5 minutes a

Tahrir barbed-wire (& adorable child) http://twitpic.com/4iuz8t 8 minutes ago

Though it was not a nice time, this is 1 of my fave pix from this AM http://twitpic.com/4iv02j 7 minutes ago

[jpyaks3]

Any comment on what happened last night and military explanation today?
I'm seeing different opinions on twitter.
Personally I don't put much stock in the military after their lies and statements today.




(in other news, I just added a bit more info from Reuters on the Abidjan mortar situation in my post above)[COLOR="Gold"]

People are not happy with the Army, but it was interesting because there was a lot of heated discussions between people, nothing out of control but just general political discussion between groups was pretty prevalent. There was literally no Army anywhere near the square so I think the Army is backing off and letting the people protest for now. I think the Army decided to crack down because there were Army officers in the protests and they couldn't let that happen but they kind of realize they ****ed up and are stepping back to try to preserve what support they have left.

[visionary]

People are not happy with the Army, but it was interesting because there was a lot of heated discussions between people, nothing out of control but just general political discussion between groups was pretty prevalent. There was literally no Army anywhere near the square so I think the Army is backing off and letting the people protest for now. I think the Army decided to crack down because there were Army officers in the protests and they couldn't let that happen but they kind of realize they ****ed up and are stepping back to try to preserve what support they have left.

Thanks for the reply. Much appreciated.
That's kind of what I figured.
Although I just read that the military has said they will use force to clear protesters in Tahrir today if necessary.

http://english.aljazeera.net/news/mi...821599558.html

Speaking at a news conference on Saturday, a senior military officer blamed trouble in Tahrir Square on "elements that backed the counter-revolution", a reference to people loyal to the administration of deposed President Hosni Mubarak.

"Tahrir Square will be emptied of protesters with firmness and force to ensure life goes back to normal," the council's Major General Adel Emarah said.

Responding to Emarah's remarks, protester Zain Abdel Latif in Tahrir said: "If they use force we will use force. This isn't Libya, where the army can just attack us."

"The military council is part and parcel of the corrupt regime. It is made up of heads of the army that have benefited from Mubarak and his 30 years of robbing the Egyptian people," said Abdullah Ahmed, 45, a protester in Tahrir.

Might not want to quote all those pictures by the way.







(Not to be confusing, but I just edited this post to add stuff I saw on AJE website)

---------- Post added April-9th-2011 at 04:33 PM ----------

I'm seeing reports on twitter that Yemeni security forces have used machine guns to fire on protesters in the capital Sanaa.
I'll see if I can find an article about this.

[jpyaks3]

Thanks for the reply. Much appreciated.
That's kind of what I figured.
Although I just read that the military has said they will use force to clear protesters in Tahrir today if necessary.

http://english.aljazeera.net/news/mi...821599558.html





Might not want to quote all those pictures by the way.







(Not to be confusing, but I just edited this post to add stuff I saw on AJE website)

---------- Post added April-9th-2011 at 04:33 PM ----------

I'm seeing reports on twitter that Yemeni security forces have used machine guns to fire on protesters in the capital Sanaa.
I'll see if I can find an article about this.

Yeah thats bull****, the people aren't buying the counter revolutionary stuff they know what went on. It was clearly an Army move to try and get their officers back in line. People are losing trust in the Army pretty quickly especially if there isn't a trial soon. Here are a few pics I took for Tahrir square.