After observing the recent spate of unrest (to put it rather mildly) in Egypt, I have indeed heard the sentiment expressed in the title from (you guessed it), none other than “There’s no recession in Europe” girl! Unfortunately due to legal circumstances I will not be naming her… yet. But I hope she will be a continuing occurence in this blog. #TNREgirl.
But back to the topic at hand. Egypt. Since Friday, 12 people have died in fresh riots, and security forces have moved into Tahrir Square where protestors and the army battle it out, using everything from the rather ubiquitous stones to petrol bombs. Déjà vu? Indeed, one could definitely be forgiven for thinking that it has already happened. Because it has. The Egyptian public, once again, is expressing its rather violent discontent at those who have taken the mantle of power for themselves, and this time, Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) of the Arab Republic of Egypt, take note. If you attempt to shackle the people of Egypt, they will break free.
However, SCAF has repeatedly mentioned that they will hand over power to a civilian government by July, and Egypt is actually in its second round of parliamentary elections. What then, has caught the protestors’ ire?
…Breaking news out of Cairo. Hundreds of Egyptian women have organized a special march to protest against security forces excessive use of force against them; the death toll has sadly risen to 14. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has denounced the stripping and beating of a woman protestor.
Has SCAF overstepped its mandate? How much longer can they court international ire before the words turn into NATO warplanes and Tomahawk missiles? Perhaps drawing a Libyan parallel is a little excessive, but human rights violations have been fairly severe. Can SCAF continue to keep hold of an Egypt determined to buck it off? Answers to these and other questions in the next series of posts, but glued to BBC for now.
But back to the topic at hand. Egypt. Since Friday, 12 people have died in fresh riots, and security forces have moved into Tahrir Square where protestors and the army battle it out, using everything from the rather ubiquitous stones to petrol bombs. Déjà vu? Indeed, one could definitely be forgiven for thinking that it has already happened. Because it has. The Egyptian public, once again, is expressing its rather violent discontent at those who have taken the mantle of power for themselves, and this time, Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) of the Arab Republic of Egypt, take note. If you attempt to shackle the people of Egypt, they will break free.
However, SCAF has repeatedly mentioned that they will hand over power to a civilian government by July, and Egypt is actually in its second round of parliamentary elections. What then, has caught the protestors’ ire?
…Breaking news out of Cairo. Hundreds of Egyptian women have organized a special march to protest against security forces excessive use of force against them; the death toll has sadly risen to 14. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has denounced the stripping and beating of a woman protestor.
Has SCAF overstepped its mandate? How much longer can they court international ire before the words turn into NATO warplanes and Tomahawk missiles? Perhaps drawing a Libyan parallel is a little excessive, but human rights violations have been fairly severe. Can SCAF continue to keep hold of an Egypt determined to buck it off? Answers to these and other questions in the next series of posts, but glued to BBC for now.
"This systematic degradation of Egyptian women dishonours the revolution, disgraces the state and its uniform and is not worthy of a great people. Women are being beaten and humiliated in the same streets where they risked their lives for the revolution only a few short months ago."
-United States Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton
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