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Million Egyptian Protest Planned as Resistance Continues

Clay Claiborne on the Daily Kos - Mon, 01/31/2011 - 13:19

It is morning again in Cairo as I post this. The curfew ended at 8:00am and the people of Egypt enter the seventh day of their history making struggle. A famous poem by the early 20th century Tunisian poet Abu al-Qasim al-Shabi, "To the Tyrants of the World" [hear it on NPR] has become a rallying cry in both Tunisia and Egypt.

This morning the Egyptian army is erecting barricades in central Cairo as the government vows to enforce the curfew which it has moved forward three hours to 3:00pm today. Today also the unions are calling for a general strike throughout Egypt and on Tuesday the April 6 Youth Movement has called for a demonstration of a million Egyptians in Cairo.

Million Egyptian Protest Planned as Resistance Continues

Clay Claiborne on the Daily Kos - Mon, 01/31/2011 - 13:19

It is morning again in Cairo as I post this. The curfew ended at 8:00am and the people of Egypt enter the seventh day of their history making struggle. A famous poem by the early 20th century Tunisian poet Abu al-Qasim al-Shabi, "To the Tyrants of the World" [hear it on NPR] has become a rallying cry in both Tunisia and Egypt.

This morning the Egyptian army is erecting barricades in central Cairo as the government vows to enforce the curfew which it has moved forward three hours to 3:00pm today. Today also the unions are calling for a general strike throughout Egypt and on Tuesday the April 6 Youth Movement has called for a demonstration of a million Egyptians in Cairo.

Huffington Post Disses the Jasmine Revolution Redux

Clay Claiborne on the Daily Kos - Sun, 01/30/2011 - 12:28

A funny thing happened on my way to posting this diary last Sunday. I came in late Saturday night and started it. I did the title and then a bit about the necessity of the Internet and the power of hackers, nothing yet about the HuffPost. I meant to save a draft but apparently I published the diary at almost 3 in the morning and the only mention of HuffPost was in the title.

This meant that few people saw it and those that did said 'huh?' Later on I added the critique of the Huffington Post, but it was too late. It was already off of the front page.

Perhaps that is just as well because it gives me good reason to repeat it and after the heady events of yesterday in Egypt it is a good time to remind people that about a week ago the Huffington Post was featuring such learned opinions about the Jasmine Revolution as:

"What happened in Tunisia most likely will stay in Tunisia"

"Notions of 'spontaneous combustion' -- or "what caught fire here will spread there" -- are, at best, apolitical, ahistorical, naïve fantasies."

Now that those opinions have been ridiculed by the harsh critique of history, we can review what I said of them before all the facts were known.

Huffington Post Disses the Jasmine Revolution Redux

Clay Claiborne on the Daily Kos - Sun, 01/30/2011 - 12:28

A funny thing happened on my way to posting this diary last Sunday. I came in late Saturday night and started it. I did the title and then a bit about the necessity of the Internet and the power of hackers, nothing yet about the HuffPost. I meant to save a draft but apparently I published the diary at almost 3 in the morning and the only mention of HuffPost was in the title.

This meant that few people saw it and those that did said 'huh?' Later on I added the critique of the Huffington Post, but it was too late. It was already off of the front page.

Perhaps that is just as well because it gives me good reason to repeat it and after the heady events of yesterday in Egypt it is a good time to remind people that about a week ago the Huffington Post was featuring such learned opinions about the Jasmine Revolution as:

"What happened in Tunisia most likely will stay in Tunisia"

"Notions of 'spontaneous combustion' -- or "what caught fire here will spread there" -- are, at best, apolitical, ahistorical, naïve fantasies."

Now that those opinions have been ridiculed by the harsh critique of history, we can review what I said of them before all the facts were known.

No Internet? No Problem! Anonymous Faxes Egypt

Clay Claiborne on the Daily Kos - Sat, 01/29/2011 - 09:24

Now that Mubarak is trying to pull the plug on the Internet in Egypt, the hacker activist group Anonymous is going Old-School dusting off the old fax machines and using them to agitate for change in Egypt. According to the website Fast Company:

Members of the group are organizing to fax copies of the Egypt-related cables that WikiLeaks released today to schools in Egypt. The hope apparently is that if they can get the faxes into the hands of students, students will distribute them to other protesters. A source told Forbes the goal was to warn them that the police could not be trusted. The WikiLeaks cables, which describe human rights abuses and political arrests, "are just more proof of that," the source said.

No Internet? No Problem! Anonymous Faxes Egypt

Clay Claiborne on the Daily Kos - Sat, 01/29/2011 - 09:24

Now that Mubarak is trying to pull the plug on the Internet in Egypt, the hacker activist group Anonymous is going Old-School dusting off the old fax machines and using them to agitate for change in Egypt. According to the website Fast Company:

Members of the group are organizing to fax copies of the Egypt-related cables that WikiLeaks released today to schools in Egypt. The hope apparently is that if they can get the faxes into the hands of students, students will distribute them to other protesters. A source told Forbes the goal was to warn them that the police could not be trusted. The WikiLeaks cables, which describe human rights abuses and political arrests, "are just more proof of that," the source said.

Egypt is on Fire!

Clay Claiborne on the Daily Kos - Fri, 01/28/2011 - 11:24

It is 8:00pm in Cairo and protesters are still out in the streets defying the curfew that went into effect two hours ago, it bans anyone from the streets until 7:00am. In Cairo, the ruling party headquarters is on fire. Internet, SMS and cell phone are now being interfered with but earlier we had this from the Guardian's running blog:

4:45pm A downtown police station in Cairo, police cars and gas tanks outside the police station are on fire, which could account for the number of loud explosions being heard, al-Jazeera reports.

Egypt is on Fire!

Clay Claiborne on the Daily Kos - Fri, 01/28/2011 - 11:24

It is 8:00pm in Cairo and protesters are still out in the streets defying the curfew that went into effect two hours ago, it bans anyone from the streets until 7:00am. In Cairo, the ruling party headquarters is on fire. Internet, SMS and cell phone are now being interfered with but earlier we had this from the Guardian's running blog:

4:45pm A downtown police station in Cairo, police cars and gas tanks outside the police station are on fire, which could account for the number of loud explosions being heard, al-Jazeera reports.

North African Revolution Continues

Clay Claiborne on the Daily Kos - Thu, 01/27/2011 - 20:25

WikiLeaks Central is an authoritative source of information on WikiLeaks things. It is also very well informed about things Anonymous.

I am happy to announce that I will be a regular contributor to WikiLeaks Central. What is basically the material below is divided into five articles on the front page today.

    North Africa News from France24

North African Revolution Continues

Clay Claiborne on the Daily Kos - Thu, 01/27/2011 - 20:25

WikiLeaks Central is an authoritative source of information on WikiLeaks things. It is also very well informed about things Anonymous.

I am happy to announce that I will be a regular contributor to WikiLeaks Central. What is basically the material below is divided into five articles on the front page today.

    North Africa News from France24

UPDATED: Egypt Protests Continue, Tunisia Wants Ben Ali Back

Clay Claiborne on the Daily Kos - Wed, 01/26/2011 - 11:06

Today Egyptians continued their unprecedented demonstrations in opposition to the the 30 year old State of Emergency ban on unauthorized protests. We now know what happened after I lost web-cam contact with downtown Cairo [see yesterday's blog], the police moved in with tear gas, water hoses, rubber bullets and batons and attempted to clear the square. The France24 report below shows what happened. An NHK report I just heard [9:15 am] says that the streets have been cleared and shows long rows of police vans parked along the streets. I didn't know one city could have that many police vans. But activists are even now planning new protests on-line as the authorities futilely attempt to block Internet access.

Tunisia wants former President Ben Ali back. In handcuffs. The interim government has issued an international arrest warrant charging Ben Ali with looting the country. Protests continue with thousand reported fighting with riot police in Tunis and Stax, Tunisian's second largest city.

UPDATED: Egypt Protests Continue, Tunisia Wants Ben Ali Back

Clay Claiborne on the Daily Kos - Wed, 01/26/2011 - 11:06

Today Egyptians continued their unprecedented demonstrations in opposition to the the 30 year old State of Emergency ban on unauthorized protests. We now know what happened after I lost web-cam contact with downtown Cairo [see yesterday's blog], the police moved in with tear gas, water hoses, rubber bullets and batons and attempted to clear the square. The France24 report below shows what happened. An NHK report I just heard [9:15 am] says that the streets have been cleared and shows long rows of police vans parked along the streets. I didn't know one city could have that many police vans. But activists are even now planning new protests on-line as the authorities futilely attempt to block Internet access.

Tunisia wants former President Ben Ali back. In handcuffs. The interim government has issued an international arrest warrant charging Ben Ali with looting the country. Protests continue with thousand reported fighting with riot police in Tunis and Stax, Tunisian's second largest city.

BREAKING: Protesters Plan Massive "Day of Wrath" in Egypt Today

Clay Claiborne on the Daily Kos - Tue, 01/25/2011 - 01:29

UPDATE 11:35am pst It is night time now in Cairo. The protests called by April 6th from their Facebook page [87k likes] and started this morning continue into the night. I have a webcam view of a street in Cairo. I can see two groups facing off but it is so dark that I can't see which side is which but I'm pretty sure the webcam is on the protesters side. I keep it on mainly for the chants [which I can't understand], the lovely voices raised in protest in a way they haven't in 30 years. They are defying a State of Emergency imposed in 1981 for the first time!  

12:13pm What I assume are the police have now put very bright lights on the protesters, now I can see even less through the webcam. I can heard loud voices on a PA system. I think it is the police and I don't think I need a translator to tell me what they are saying. The chants rise above the bullhorn, they come now like a roar but I fear what will happen in Cairo tonight.

webcam went down

1:06pm France24 is reporting 3 people killed, 2 in Suez. Thousands of protester planning all night sit-in. France24 correspondent talking about "another Tunisia."

1:20 pm pst webcam still down, servers possibly blocked in Egypt, now have audio only feed and I can hear the protests continue.

BREAKING: Protesters Plan Massive "Day of Wrath" in Egypt Today

Clay Claiborne on the Daily Kos - Tue, 01/25/2011 - 01:29

UPDATE 11:35am pst It is night time now in Cairo. The protests called by April 6th from their Facebook page [87k likes] and started this morning continue into the night. I have a webcam view of a street in Cairo. I can see two groups facing off but it is so dark that I can't see which side is which but I'm pretty sure the webcam is on the protesters side. I keep it on mainly for the chants [which I can't understand], the lovely voices raised in protest in a way they haven't in 30 years. They are defying a State of Emergency imposed in 1981 for the first time!  

12:13pm What I assume are the police have now put very bright lights on the protesters, now I can see even less through the webcam. I can heard loud voices on a PA system. I think it is the police and I don't think I need a translator to tell me what they are saying. The chants rise above the bullhorn, they come now like a roar but I fear what will happen in Cairo tonight.

webcam went down

1:06pm France24 is reporting 3 people killed, 2 in Suez. Thousands of protester planning all night sit-in. France24 correspondent talking about "another Tunisia."

1:20 pm pst webcam still down, servers possibly blocked in Egypt, now have audio only feed and I can hear the protests continue.

Tunisians Thank Anonymous as North Africa Explodes

Clay Claiborne on the Daily Kos - Mon, 01/24/2011 - 14:53

News @ 6:00pm pst
Tunisian government spokesmen says cabinet reshuffle is imminent.
Schools were closed today and many students joined the protests
Tunisian army chief says military will 'guarantee' the revolution.
{thanks, but no thanks is my opinion} I take that back, found out this is the general that refused Ben Ali's order to crack down and shoot people. He's being celebrated as a hero. All in all, it is much better to have the army on the people's side in a revolution. Tends to be less blood shed that way.

Tunisian TV station owner arrested for treason yesterday has been released.
Paris prosecutors have opened a case against Ben Ali and his property in France has been seized. (France is shocked, shocked, to find Ben Ali has ill got gains stowed away in France. But surprise, they knew just were to find them!)
Sarkozy says "The French people support the Tunisian people."
Sure we know that. What about you and the other French Imperialists?

Now I'm going to take a break from the North Africa story. I'm going to watch American network news at 6:30 were I'm likely to hear nothing about it for half an hour.
Back again. Katie Couric and CBS was a safe choice. Tunisia who? Oprah squeezed the story out.

Tunisians Thank Anonymous as North Africa Explodes

Clay Claiborne on the Daily Kos - Mon, 01/24/2011 - 14:53

News @ 6:00pm pst
Tunisian government spokesmen says cabinet reshuffle is imminent.
Schools were closed today and many students joined the protests
Tunisian army chief says military will 'guarantee' the revolution.
{thanks, but no thanks is my opinion} I take that back, found out this is the general that refused Ben Ali's order to crack down and shoot people. He's being celebrated as a hero. All in all, it is much better to have the army on the people's side in a revolution. Tends to be less blood shed that way.

Tunisian TV station owner arrested for treason yesterday has been released.
Paris prosecutors have opened a case against Ben Ali and his property in France has been seized. (France is shocked, shocked, to find Ben Ali has ill got gains stowed away in France. But surprise, they knew just were to find them!)
Sarkozy says "The French people support the Tunisian people."
Sure we know that. What about you and the other French Imperialists?

Now I'm going to take a break from the North Africa story. I'm going to watch American network news at 6:30 were I'm likely to hear nothing about it for half an hour.
Back again. Katie Couric and CBS was a safe choice. Tunisia who? Oprah squeezed the story out.

Huffington Post Disses the Jasmine Revolution

Clay Claiborne on the Daily Kos - Sun, 01/23/2011 - 03:49

Sunday Tunisia Update: France24 reports Rural protesters reach Tunis, press government to quit.

AFP - Some 1,000 demonstrators from rural central Tunisia, calling for the resignation of the transitional government, reached the capital on Sunday.

The marchers, from a poor farming region where an uprising against authoritarian rule began last month, called for the resignation of a government put in place after the ouster of president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali.
"The people have come to bring down the government," they chanted as they marched through the centre of Tunis.

The "Caravan of Liberation" set off on Saturday from the town of Menzel Bouzaiane, where the first victim of a bloody crackdown on protests against Ben Ali was killed last month.

"We have come... to bring down the rest of the dictatorship," said Mohammed Layani, an elderly man draped in a Tunisian flag

Huffington Post Disses the Jasmine Revolution

Clay Claiborne on the Daily Kos - Sun, 01/23/2011 - 03:49

Sunday Tunisia Update: France24 reports Rural protesters reach Tunis, press government to quit.

AFP - Some 1,000 demonstrators from rural central Tunisia, calling for the resignation of the transitional government, reached the capital on Sunday.

The marchers, from a poor farming region where an uprising against authoritarian rule began last month, called for the resignation of a government put in place after the ouster of president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali.
"The people have come to bring down the government," they chanted as they marched through the centre of Tunis.

The "Caravan of Liberation" set off on Saturday from the town of Menzel Bouzaiane, where the first victim of a bloody crackdown on protests against Ben Ali was killed last month.

"We have come... to bring down the rest of the dictatorship," said Mohammed Layani, an elderly man draped in a Tunisian flag

BREAKING: Algerian Protesters Clash w Police as Anon starts OpAlgeria

Clay Claiborne on the Daily Kos - Sat, 01/22/2011 - 16:34

This is happening right now in Algeria.
These are the headlines:

Protesters clash with police in the capital city of Algier. 42 protesters and 7 policemen are injured

Hacker group Anonymous launches co-ordinated Operation Algeria and brings down government websites.

UPDATE Notice - this is a diary that will grow into the evening and night as I have a lot to cover with in this area. I want to take on the 'coverage' the HuffPost has given this and there is a lot of news about Tunisia and the rest of North Africa, but I just got some photos and other stuff about the Algeria situation and this is BREAKING NEWS so I am putting this out now and will add to it later.

also see yesterday's diary Tunisia: A Single Tweet Can Start A Prairie Fire! for background

first this report from France24 pretty much covers the current situation:

BREAKING: Algerian Protesters Clash w Police as Anon starts OpAlgeria

Clay Claiborne on the Daily Kos - Sat, 01/22/2011 - 16:34

This is happening right now in Algeria.
These are the headlines:

Protesters clash with police in the capital city of Algier. 42 protesters and 7 policemen are injured

Hacker group Anonymous launches co-ordinated Operation Algeria and brings down government websites.

UPDATE Notice - this is a diary that will grow into the evening and night as I have a lot to cover with in this area. I want to take on the 'coverage' the HuffPost has given this and there is a lot of news about Tunisia and the rest of North Africa, but I just got some photos and other stuff about the Algeria situation and this is BREAKING NEWS so I am putting this out now and will add to it later.

also see yesterday's diary Tunisia: A Single Tweet Can Start A Prairie Fire! for background

first this report from France24 pretty much covers the current situation: