It's Police Day in Cairo, a holiday established last year to recognize the day men in uniform overthrew British rule. However, with the recent overthrow of the government in Tunisia, feelings of rebellion, pro-democracy and anti-government are running high in Cairo, with Egyptians once again crying out publicly against the 30 year dictatorship of President Hosni Mubarak. In the past few weeks, at least 12 people have set themselves on fire in front of government establishments, and today, thousands of people are rioting on the streets.
We're prohibited by AMIDEAST from leaving our apartments today because of all the chaos out there. In Egypt, any political gathering that includes over 5 people is illegal, and foreigners are not allowed to participate in political activity at all. Protesters have flooded the areas in downtown Cairo near Tahrir Square, carrying large signs such as "Tunisia is the solution" and "Down with Mubarak." Egyptian security is in full force, with hoards of officers and army tanks monitoring the streets. However, according to Yahoo News, protesters have broken through police barriers.
Below is a pic of the army blocking a bridge off from the protesters, taken by my peer Ian Goldin. It was earlier in the day before the riots broke out.
It's an exciting time to be here. I'm waiting to see how this plays out, hidden safely in my apartment.
Update 4:20pm:
Police are now beating protesters, using tear gas and water canons on the streets. Here's a picture from Egypt Daily News. As you can see, things are getting pretty intense.
Update 4:36pm:
Egypt has blocked Twitter along with live-streaming sites and independent news coverage sites to prevent people from getting live updates. No First Amendment rights here, that's for sure.
Update 5:13pm:
Rounds of arrests are taking place downtown by the parliament area while protesters throw rocks.
Update 5:15pm:
Official security alerts state that a crowd of up to 15,000 Egyptian opposition members are clashing with security forces, and up to 30,000 police are deployed in downtown Cairo. Protests are also taking place nationwide, in Alexandria, Aswan, etc. The day has been dubbed 'Egyptian Intifada' (Uprising Day). Hell hath no fury like protesting Egyptians.
Update 9:12pm
Just saw this picture of the crowd at Tahrir Square. People are refusing to leave and protests may even go into tomorrow. Well, Mubarak has to be impressed that Egyptians are all so united - even if it is against him.
