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Monday, 6 Apr 2009
6th of april was finally here, and the streets of cairo
were a sight to be seen. A flood of people, millions, linning up in the streets
of cairo..busses, cars and taxis loaded with angry people, traveling all across
the mighty city. People were shouting, cars were honking and the music filled
the air.
And my friend looked at me and said "wow, cairo traffic is really as
bad as they say it is"!
Oh, you were expecting something on the strike? What strike? Today's national strike? The Egyptian day of anger? Well…It kind of failed…like miserably. The demonstrations that took place were…ehh..kinda small and symbolic..30 people at the Press syndicate..5 people at Ain Shams university..The MB supposedly showed its great street presence by sending in 40 people. Not really the numbers that strike the fear of god in our unholy government, and totally shy o the projections set by the laughable polls available on the shabab 6 april website. One of them claimed that between 60 and 80% of cairenes will join the strike and protests. They must've gotten stuck in traffic. The 6th October Bridge was murder today, i hear.
While I understand that other bloggers are trying to put some positive spin on things (detailing news items of crackdowns and clashes between the police and the "numerous protestors" to make you feel as if shit is going down, when it really isn't), you don;t come here to hear the positive. You come here for a nice dose of reality, and this is what we will give you. To kind of give you a perspective on it all, check this out: 4 days ago, 2 girls got arrested in Kafr el Sheikh for promoting the protest. 30 of their friends staged a sit-in in front of the police station, and the police- laughing that the "activists" they were going to have to look for today kinda showed up on their door steps- invited them to continue their sit-in inside a cozy jail cell. Total number of people arrested that day, including the 2 girls= 32 people. The amount of people arrested today, in national strike day, the day of anger, from all the governrates of Egypt? 34 people. And again, that's from all over EGYPT. Not Kafr el Sheikh…EGYPT. In a country of over 80 million, the total number of protestors arrested in national anger day is less than 40. And total people arrested for the whole incident..less than 100. It Oh, and the Strike Leader, Saad Zaghloul the second, the man, the myth, the legend.. Ahmed Maher? Nowhere to be found. Probably hiding in a television studio somewhere. Or maybe he too got stuck in traffic.
To sum it up, the national strike day turned out to be a national joke, and that's because its leaders and organizers were clowns and media whores. That is all there is to it. The good news is, those clowns are now exposed. And instead of feeling bad for them, I have a list of names of other people more worthy of your sympathy: Like Ahmed Aly Mabrouk, the young boy that got killed in his own bedroom by a stray bullet fired by the police, And Ahemd ElSayed Nono, who sufferd the same fate, when he recieved a stray bullet in headwhile sitting with his friends at a cafe, a few months before his wedding. Those were only 2 of the victims of the police crackdown on the Mahalla workers, the same crackdown that made the 6th of April leaders famous and fawned over by idiots in the media and civil society. You don't find the names of either Mabrouk or ElNono anywhere in the "6th of april movement's" manifestos or press releases, nor anything on any of those arrested or sentenced in the Mahalla protests. They are collatoral damage, sacrficeable soldiers for the greater goal of making national leaders of 3 imbeciles with a fuckin laptop. Well, motherfuckers, you've asked for anger today, and here you have found it. How do you like it now?
Fuckin Wankers!
April 6th, 2009 at 4:10 pm
[...] same with more curse words at Sandmonkey. Hossam will have more later but has already posted along the same lines. Those two agreeing on [...]
April 6th, 2009 at 4:12 pm
Whoa! Stray police bullets?! What were they shooting at? It seems like there wasn’t that much to get worked up about, so why the stray bullets?
Up here, something like that would have resulted in a public outcry of epic proportions and the police officers in question would have been crucified, almost litteraly…!
Poor kid/fellow!
April 6th, 2009 at 4:43 pm
In Britain, strikers are considered lazy ar*eholes if they strike for more than 48 hours in any given year, or even within a five year period. 24 hours is acceptable, but as it creeps up to 48, the public become apathetic and fatigued thinking “You may as well be a Frog!” (read: French). It’s why I’m continually surprised by the sheer number of strikes (and protests) in Egypt - and the support they seem to have. That nothing ever really gets accomplished makes me wonder why they’re not more defeatist about striking and protesting in general. It’s saddening, but refreshing too.
Again, the lack of surprise over the date has inevitably lead the government & state security to make a pre-emptive strike, much to their success. Even if 3 morons with a laptop rallied the nation via Facebook for a day of national strike, and then took all the credit for it again, it might have been worth it had there been success (the definition of which seems vague according to you lot), provided the SS didn’t crackdown on activists like with Mahalla. It’s a shame, ‘cos Cairo could always do with another bridge or a road entitled “6th of (insert month)”. Mubarak would have to be usurped, assassinated, or just dead anyhow for any planning permission to be given, of course.
It’s interesting how in a logistical sense, the G20 protest in the City of London was more of a success - police didn’t know about it, indeed they complained about how no one informed them of the protests, and the protesters came together from four different directions (a tactic I don’t ever recall seeing used before in London protests).
April 6th, 2009 at 7:54 pm
Eh. Traffic in Cairo’s a bitch.
Pffff…. Well, that’s the end of the 6th of April movement. It was fun while it lasted - it briefly basked in the post-Kefaya glory and could’ve built on the limited mobilisation it created - and indeed, last 6th of April seemed promising. This year, they’re just… well, media whores.
Love their polls though. Guessing their methodology and samples, If one my students presented something like that, i’d have them expelled.
April 6th, 2009 at 9:25 pm
SM, hey, don’t hold back your criticism; express yourself
Don’t be shy about it!
April 7th, 2009 at 12:28 am
بس بقى
ده انت مفتري قوي
ايه؟ ما صدقت
April 7th, 2009 at 3:08 am
R u back in Misr? Did u leave the the land of the FAT sheik and the fancy schmancy malls 4 good?
No angst goin’ on in Doha hey? Misr lissa Um Al donya!
April 7th, 2009 at 8:39 am
Perhaps people want the protest, sincerely want the change, but are worn out in spirit and tired to their bones of all the anger and rage? (I’m NOT suggesting fake perkiness as the answer… just throwing this out as an explanation)
April 7th, 2009 at 8:53 am
مع إنى ما باطيقش تعليقات أهله يا نواره، وتعاليه العيالى ومغازلته للخواجات، وشغل التلت ورقات اللى ساعات بيعمله فى تدويناته، بس المرة دى جاب جون حقيقى، الحق جرى على لسانه، صحيح إضراب إيه ولاد الجزمة اللى بيقوده شوية عيال أكبر حاجه عملوها إنهم اترمو فى بوكس ساعتين، أنا مش ضد الإضراب كفعل احتجاجى، محتاجينه والله، بس مش بالطريقة المسخرة دى، وبالجهل ده، ده إضراب لصالح الحكومة، والنعمة أنا لو مكان العادلى لأديهم مكافأة،
السنة اللى فاتت كان الأمر مختلف، فاكره، كنتى مختلفه مع فكرة الإضراب، ومعظمنا ما كانش فاهم ليه بلوجرية القاهرة راكبين قطر المحلة، وعمالين يتكلمو كأنهم هما قادة الثورة، بس أيدناه، قلنا لعل وعسى، فنيخ نسبيا، قلنا وماله محاولة أولى، مش عيب، لكن لما دعوا لاضراب خولاتى يوم اربعة مايو بمناسبة عيد ميلاد خامد الذكر ريسنا، شتمناهم وقلنا إيه الخره ده بلا معيلة بلا مظاهرات الكيبورد اللى بيبثوها من سيلانترو وكوستا وستار بكس فى حين دم ناس ماتو هدر ما بردس ومعتقلين ماطلعوش، فاكره، (راجعى بوستاتك السنة اللى فاتت)
السنة دى ظاطت بقى، وفيه عيال قابلتهم ع الزهرة منهم الزعيم قاعدين مستحميين وضاربين جيل ولابسين لبس جديد ومستنيين معد برامج يجى ياخدهم عشان يناضلو قدام الكاميرا، النضال الجميل من النوع ده فعلا إجنا محتاجينه، عشان ينكتب فى أنصع صفحات دولة الخولات اللى هاننشئها على أنقاض دولة المعرصين الحاكمة
April 7th, 2009 at 8:55 am
مرة تانية
مع إنى ما باطيقش تعليقات أهله يا نواره، وتعاليه العيالى ومغازلته للخواجات، وشغل التلت ورقات اللى ساعات بيعمله فى تدويناته، بس المرة دى جاب جون حقيقى، الحق جرى على لسانه، صحيح إضراب إيه ولاد الجزمة اللى بيقوده شوية عيال أكبر حاجه عملوها إنهم اترمو فى بوكس ساعتين، أنا مش ضد الإضراب كفعل احتجاجى، محتاجينه والله، بس مش بالطريقة المسخرة دى، وبالجهل ده، ده إضراب لصالح الحكومة، والنعمة أنا لو مكان العادلى لأديهم مكافأة،
السنة اللى فاتت كان الأمر مختلف، فاكره، كنتى مختلفه مع فكرة الإضراب، ومعظمنا ما كانش فاهم ليه بلوجرية القاهرة راكبين قطر المحلة، وعمالين يتكلمو كأنهم هما قادة الثورة، بس أيدناه، قلنا لعل وعسى، فنيخ نسبيا، قلنا وماله محاولة أولى، مش عيب، لكن لما دعوا لاضراب خولاتى يوم اربعة مايو بمناسبة عيد ميلاد خامد الذكر ريسنا، شتمناهم وقلنا إيه الخره ده بلا معيلة بلا مظاهرات الكيبورد اللى بيبثوها من سيلانترو وكوستا وستار بكس فى حين دم ناس ماتو هدر ما بردس ومعتقلين ماطلعوش، فاكره، (راجعى بوستاتك السنة اللى فاتت)
السنة دى ظاطت بقى، وفيه عيال قابلتهم ع الزهرة منهم الزعيم قاعدين مستحميين وضاربين جيل ولابسين لبس جديد ومستنيين معد برامج يجى ياخدهم عشان يناضلو قدام الكاميرا، النضال الجميل من النوع ده فعلا إجنا محتاجينه، عشان ينكتب فى أنصع صفحات دولة الخولات اللى هاننشئها على أنقاض دولة المعرصين الحاكمة
April 7th, 2009 at 11:41 am
SM,
Amen to that!!
sank yoo
April 7th, 2009 at 12:15 pm
[...] the official verdict on April 6th II is in: it was a complete failure. For the most part, Egyptians carried on with their day-to-day activities, while April 6th leader [...]
April 7th, 2009 at 3:11 pm
[...] a different note, Joseph Simons, Arabist, Sand Monkey and Arabawy mentioned similar thoughts about how they were provoked by the calls, and their [...]
April 7th, 2009 at 3:21 pm
[...] a different note, Joseph Simons, Arabist, Sand Monkey and Arabawy mentioned similar thoughts about how they were provoked by the calls, and their [...]
April 7th, 2009 at 4:05 pm
[...] Rantings of a Sandmonkey » Strike out! Smart-assness aside, only factual problem seems to be that, as i recall last year's 6 April, the Mahalla protesters set the date and THEN the "6 April movement"' latched on to it. Not the other way around as SM claims. (tags: egypt activism 6April) [...]
April 7th, 2009 at 8:28 pm
Cops are assholes the world over. in Canada our beloved Mounties tazered a Polish immigrant to death and the lied, lied through their teeth. Fortunately somebody caught it on film looks like they murdered him. Yet to see if they will get what they deserve. When cops kill innocents in Egypt, what happens?
April 7th, 2009 at 11:07 pm
It seems to be true that too many American cops are unstable. When I moved from New Orleans, there were 7 cops on death row for the horrible murders that they committed, mostly on the job. Just yesterday a California cop was arrested in Austin, Texas for raping a woman who worked at a hotel where he was staying. It came out that he had a long, long history of complaints, disciplinary actions, yet he was still a member of the police force. It seems that every month or so, some bad cop makes the news in Texas. Unreliable, unstable, criminal police regularly make the news here in the US. I am sure that there are good members of the police force, too, but too many bad cops tarnish their image….. There should be some kind of selection process and strict conduct guidelines, and apparently these do not exist well enough to keep the force free of this low element.
April 8th, 2009 at 4:11 am
” There should be some kind of selection process and strict conduct guidelines, and apparently these do not exist well enough to keep the force free of this low element.”
It’s a pretty low paying job, you have to either really want to serve the public or be a loose cannon (my opinion only!!).
lynne, are you suggesting that public servants from the great state of Louisiana are anything less than honest? ….
ROTFLMAO!!! I kept a straight face a long as I could!! ; D
The only state that makes Louisiana look bad is Illinois! Chicago imparticular!!!
lynne, are you in Texas now? Arlington, TX here!
April 8th, 2009 at 6:36 am
“Cops are assholes”
Maybe the most idiotic claim on this site yet… :/
April 8th, 2009 at 9:47 am
says some one with little experience dealing with them, perhaps necessary evil, like teachers, or soldiers and judges, lawyers of any kind, would suit the delicate better. Too easy to abuse their power, being as they are only human, Danish cops seem from my shallow depth of understanding or interest seem particularly non-confrontational. Was it them or the Brits running away from a mob protest in support of hamas and against Israelie actions in Gaza? Vid on net ….Reactionary posting
April 8th, 2009 at 12:48 pm
On par with saying that all americans are idiots, just because a few have acted like it…
Irrefutable proof of lack of intelligence.
April 8th, 2009 at 4:47 pm
LOL The G20 protests were sucessful? 2000 people are loud and protest and the media pretty much out numbers them so they are sucessful? While there are 5000+ regular American’s in Cinncinati show up but little press because they are protesting Obama and the government Stimulus spending so much money. The media ignores it when it doesn’t fit their agenda.
http://www.breitbart.tv/?p=298583
There are literally 1000’s+ that will take place on April 15th that are regular Americans that unfortunately the left has decided will be infiltrated with violent leftisit so they will look bad. That’s ok the Tea Parties are ready. They shouldn’t forget that who they scorn as “rednecks” usually don’t put up with too much nonsense!
April 8th, 2009 at 6:41 pm
Tedders, Austin, Texas here! Louisiana: Once we voters had a choice between Edwin “The Crook” Edwards and David “KKK” Duke. Can that even be called a choice? Wah! (I could not even think of voting for Duke.) Louisiana is a beautiful state, with many attractions, and many good people, and unfortunately, very bad politics going back to before the Huey and Earl K Long days. Bad politics and laughable ones.
April 8th, 2009 at 8:15 pm
Ah Adam B. still smartin’ from that last “if harems make a comeback you have a job as a eunuch” observation I sent in your direction. Eh?… You’re a bit of a disappointment to me, just when I begin to suspect your testicles might not have been remove, but instead just haven’t dropped, you level a base charge like that at me. Why don’t you just write “gelding” on your forehead in magic maker? On the upside in the battle for equality, you aren’t just disappointing women anymore. Good job, keep it up…. Oh sorry,
castrati have trouble keeping anything but a song up and runnin’. Come on Adam sing us a song
“Cops are assholes” is actually more on par with, “gay waiters” or “staving artists” cliches, but I have met plenty of both. Neanderthals, like mee no more speak now so fuck off feeling hurter … unnnnnnaaa, grumble, grumble, grumble
April 8th, 2009 at 10:17 pm
Ten reasons why Muslims should convert to Judaism, or at least pretend that they did
1. If you have a bald spot, you get to wear a yamaka that hides it.
2. You can still get away with not eating pork, and not being ostracized for it by your secular friends.
3. You can sue a lot more people successfully if you claim anti-Semitism than you would if you claimed anti-Islamism.
4. You can show up at the airport with exotic religious garb, facial hair, and still expect to fly.
5. If you are a woman, you can still be modest and show your hair, even though it’s not really your own hair.
6. You still get to circumcise your kids.
7. You become a member of a much more exclusive club: 14 million Jews compared to 1.3 billion Muslims.
8. If enough Palestinians convert to Judaism, that’s one way of reoccupying Israel.
April 9th, 2009 at 7:48 am
“Ah Adam B. still smartin’ from that last “if harems make a comeback you have a job as a eunuch” observation I sent in your direction. Eh?…”
Not really, no - completely forgotten, actually… I’m just reacting to a stupid, generalizing comment like all sane people would.
April 9th, 2009 at 8:01 am
MohaMoses:
A short reaction to your list…
1: You guys get to wear Taqiyahs - aren’t they just as good?
2: Not at all - jews get as much flack for their pig-phobia as does muslims. They just don’t demand that the rest of us follow suit… Big difference!
3: I’m not sure about this one, but you might have a point, at least for a while yet.
4: A natural effect of the lack of jewish terrorist history. Buddhists enjoy the same privilege…
5: Huh?
6: Not if I can help it, no!!! Should be bloddy criminalized immediately!
7: Well, not much to say here…
8: The opposite situation is more likely, isn’t it? I mean, since jews converting to islam aren’t actually breaking any laws, as opposed to vice-versa…?
April 9th, 2009 at 10:50 pm
Don’t even get me started on the cops are assholes rant. 4 hours east of Vancouver is a city called Kamloops. Last summer an 84 yo man was recovering after a quadruple by pass in the hospital. He apparently in his delirium waved a pen knife at the nurses. Coincidentally the cops were hanging out at the hospital donut shop and responded quickly. This 84 yo a hair away from death was such a threat that they deemed it fit to taser him! 4 FUCKING TIMES! This is the RCMP not the Egyptian SS!
April 10th, 2009 at 12:33 am
CarpetCaptain, today’s news in Texas is that a top Texas cop shot his wife with a tasser. The report from Canada is more appalling though. Poor old guy! Did he survive?
April 10th, 2009 at 12:56 am
“Texas cop shot his wife with a tasser”
At least he was fired and is now cooling his heels in jail!
April 10th, 2009 at 1:57 am
lynne
No, he did not.
as a matter of fact when I heard about it I could not believe it and had a discussion on the polish forum trying to defend mounties. I still don’t understand why they did it. - perhaps bad apples, overworked, something like that?
April 10th, 2009 at 9:42 am
I’m pretty sure the guy survived, it was the Polish guy at YVR that didn’t. Just this week the Vancouver transit cops (ie too dumb and unstable to even be real cops ) tasered someone for not buying his $2.50 transit pass and running when they tried to ticket him for it.
April 10th, 2009 at 1:53 pm
I am sure that there are good cops, but the bad ones are all too common. In cases where there is just bad judgment, it seems that effective continuing education could remedy that . It may be a case of the profession attracting these unstable types. There have been studies on the effects of power over others and the corrupting influence that this has and the misuse of this power.
Tedders, yes, the top Texas cop was fired, fined and is in jail.
April 10th, 2009 at 4:46 pm
You give a guy a badge and it goes to his head no matter what. There are bad cops the world over, albeit with higher concentrations in certain parts of the world.
The big question is, are they held responsible for their misdeeds? In Egypt, it’s a resounding NO. In the civilized world it’s mostly yes.
April 10th, 2009 at 5:57 pm
EgyPeter, yes, I believe that you are right.
April 11th, 2009 at 12:33 am
When are we having a Texas get together? no cops invited please
April 11th, 2009 at 12:53 am
Twosret, what a good idea! Let’s plan one
April 11th, 2009 at 7:58 am
I live nowhere near Texas…but i LOVE the state!!
Sometimes I think I should have been born there.
April 11th, 2009 at 1:29 pm
Egypeter, let’s trade!
Lynne, e-mail me my name at yahoo
I am sure Teddy would love to do this too!
April 11th, 2009 at 1:45 pm
Teddy would! As soon as I finish the never ending hotels I’m building!! Oy!!
April 11th, 2009 at 3:33 pm
EgyPeter, it is a complex place. There are parts of Texas —the wild plains, mountains, stretches of desert–that seem “typically Texas” —as well as a number of large modern cities, each unique. It’s a huge state, almost 900 miles across at some points. I like living in Austin really.
Teddy, Twosret, maybe this summer? I’d love for us to get together!
April 11th, 2009 at 9:17 pm
Large Modern cities in TX? you gotta be kidding! hahahahaha
Turette i’ll trade you Texas for BC any day of the week. You can have your fill of liberal wankers till the cows come home!
April 12th, 2009 at 3:10 am
“Large Modern cities in TX? you gotta be kidding! hahahahaha”
We still ride horses to check on our oil wells!! Right lynne!! LOL
April 12th, 2009 at 11:00 am
“We still ride horses to check on our oil wells!! Right lynne!! LOL”
Wanna swap a horse for an igloo?
April 12th, 2009 at 3:08 pm
CarpetCaptain, as hot as it gets in Austin in the summer, I’d love an igloo in July!
April 12th, 2009 at 9:47 pm
Got a warning riding my horse the other day lol
April 12th, 2009 at 10:27 pm
Twosret, LOL!
April 13th, 2009 at 12:54 am
Turette save a horse ride a cowboy
April 13th, 2009 at 6:30 am
[...] Brotherhood encouraged their membership to participate in the strike. Some commentators, however, doubted the commitment of the Brotherhood to the protests, which may have led to their limited [...]
April 13th, 2009 at 3:36 pm
Lynne,
Early summer will work great for me
CC,
You are trouble!
April 13th, 2009 at 3:36 pm
Happy Passover and Happy Easter to all of you!
April 13th, 2009 at 3:39 pm
SM…
I am anxiously awaiting your comments on Hizboallah cells in Egypt?
Are they there just spreading the love?
April 14th, 2009 at 1:05 am
Twosret, early summer sounds good for me, too. Thank you for your kind wishes for a happy Passover.
November 7th, 2009 at 8:06 am
Nice info, Useful for my job…this has made my life (my projects) goes a lot easier. Keep up the good work, thanks very much…
November 9th, 2009 at 3:49 am
This is actually really interesting regarding your fact article here, This article is very informative.
November 9th, 2009 at 4:31 am
I came across your site while searching on MSN and have now added you to my rss reader. I Just though i should say “keep up the good work” and pass on congratulations on a job well done ! I am really looking forward to seeing more from you in the future.
November 11th, 2009 at 10:15 am
Nice info, thanks for share…
November 16th, 2009 at 4:58 pm
There have been studies on the effects of power over others and the corrupting influence that this has and the misuse of this power….
November 24th, 2009 at 7:37 pm
CarpetCaptain, today’s news in Texas is that a top Texas cop shot his wife with a tasser…
November 26th, 2009 at 6:55 pm
I came across your site while searching on MSN and have now added you to my rss reader. I Just though i should say “keep up the good work” and pass on congratulations on a job well done ! I am really looking forward to seeing more from you in the future.
December 3rd, 2009 at 3:17 pm
There are parts of Texas —the wild plains, mountains, stretches of desert–that seem “typically Texas” —as well as a number of large modern cities, each unique. It’s a huge state, almost 900 miles across at some points. I like living in Austin really.
December 9th, 2009 at 8:59 pm
Great, this is a nice post…
December 10th, 2009 at 4:06 am
EgyPeter, it is a complex place. There are parts of Texas —the wild plains, mountains, stretches of desert–that seem “typically Texas” —as well as a number of large modern cities, each unique. It’s a huge state, almost 900 miles across at some points. I like living in Austin really.
Teddy, Twosret, maybe this summer? I’d love for us to get together!
January 4th, 2010 at 7:36 am
The big question is, are they held responsible for their misdeeds? In Egypt, it’s a resounding NO. In the civilized world it’s mostly yes.