Live Blog: Cairo, Egypt Tahrir Square
Posted: February 2, 2011 Filed under: Egypt, Foreign Affairs, just because, Live | Tags: Egypt 56 Comments
This is an updating thread.
The Square became alight with gunfire and Molotov Cocktails and tracers. Gunfire into the air.
Al Jazeera English: Live Stream – Watch Now – Al Jazeera English
Update @ 5:07pm est
Al Jazeera has started a new thread for their live blogging:
Live blog Feb 3 – Egypt protests | Al Jazeera Blogs
11:11pm Egypt back online – a Global Voices Author shares his story here.
11:06pm Pro-democracy protesters beating on metal barricades in unison, in celebration after driving pro-Mubarak groups back.
10:55pm Latest from Al Jazeera Web Producer in Cairo’s Tahrir Square:
The pro-Mubarak crowd suddenly retreated, and the pro-democracy protesters advanced a moveable wall of metal shields to a new front line much further up.
A side battle erupted down a street behind the pro-Mubarak lines, with rock throwing and molotov cocktails.
An armored personnel carrier opened fire into the air, shooting red tracers up over Cairo, in an apparent effort to disperse/frighten the pro-Mubarak crowd, who contracted again.
The pro-democracy protesters are now advancing their line of staggered metal shields farther and farther and seem to have gained decisive momentum.
10:45pm Clashes in Tahrir Square being described as medieval. Anti-government supporters are moving makeshift metal barricades slowly forward, one by one.
10:37pm Anti-Mubarak protesters still in Tahrir Square where they are being attacked by groups believed to be supporters of Mubarak. Al Jazeera showing them holding up a sign “World says time to go Mubarak”.
10:27pm Nouraddin Adbulsamad, Egyptian Minister of Antiquities, is live on Al Jazeera. He has called for Mubarak to step down, accusing him of wanting to “burn down all of Egypt”.
10:18pm Breaking news on Al Jazeera now: gunshots being heard in downtown Cairo, near Tahrir Square where tens of thousands of anti-government protesters are camping out.
Twitter Updates:
Dima_Khatib Dima Khatib أنا ديمة
peterdaou Peter Daou
NickKristof Nicholas Kristof
by taylormarshIn my part of Tahrir, pro-#Mubarak mobs arrived in buses, armed with machetes, straight-razors and clubs, very menacing.
oxfordgirl oxfordgirl
Live blog Feb 3 – Egypt protests | Al Jazeera Blogs
peej
Carissa
bostonboomer
dakinikat
ecocatwoman
grayslady
mablue2
NW Luna
peggysue22
quixote
skydancingguestblogger
Mona (aka Wonk the Vote)
Sky Dancing 
oxfordgirl oxfordgirl
Pro-democracy protesters hve set up make-shift clinics to treat the wounded, still getting food into Tahrir square #jan25 #egypt
4 minutes ago
Your post was up as I was typing mine!!! LMAO!! That is the answer I was looking for!!!
I have followed Oxfordgirl on twitter since the beginning of the protest in Iran a couple years ago. She is a journalist and usually has some very reliable tweets.
If only we could get Youtube to release some videos we would know more. Corporate Censorship is the killer of Democracy!
What COULD the United States do at this time? I am all for letting Egypt figure this all out for themselves, but in the meanwhile, what about all the people getting hurt and dying? Can aid in the form of medicine get to them somehow?
they can withdraw or threaten to withdraw economic and military assistance to Egypt
You would have thought that Obumbles would have done that behind the scenes already. But we are talking about Obumbles, not a real leader……
Asshat.
Sandmonkey Sandmonkey
Anti-Mubarak protesters are descending on downton in the thousands. They are not giving up Tahrir. #JAN25
5 minutes ago
Sandmonkey’s long response to the clash is in the last live blog–it’s very powerful and sad.
I know, I saw this tweet come through a few minutes ago and thought I would post it to connect (at least in SD’s readers minds) to your posts this morning…
Just wanted to direct anyone who wasn’t here earlier–it’s a long passage, and I don’t want to copy/paste it again and bog down this thread bc I’m sure you have more new and important updates!
Hey Wonk, I added the link to your comment…
Fox news has live stream from Square via Sky news. They are reporting that Mubarak regime is pushing the violence, by one of the reporters hiding out in a building (I believe it is a Sky News reporter, because that is what the live video is from.) He said there is a sense that Mubarak is using his mobs to retaliate against the people.
Note: This was during the show on Shep Smith.
CNN is playing footage of the attack on Anderson Cooper that I blogged about earlier.
Wow…. Anderson yelling “CALM DOWN…. Inshallah.”
Total chaos.
peterdaou Peter Daou
Well, well… MT @SenJohnMcCain Regrettably the time has come for Pres. Mubarak to step down & relinquish power. via @thehill #jan25
3 minutes ago
John Kerry called for Mubarak to step down too… that was on Al Jazeera English headlines this morning
Hillary should call for Mubarak to step down too… then all three of the would-be presidents will have done Obama’s job for him!
that’s snarkfont @ 3:38
McCain has more guts than Obama? Well, fiddle-de-dee. What a shock (not!).
AJEnglish Al Jazeera English
Suleiman calls for end to protests: Egyptian vice-president says talks with opposition can start only after prot… http://aje.me/gtLWSM
1 minute ago
oxfordgirl oxfordgirl
Tony Blair makes me want to vomit. : http://huff.to/eKbW14 #Mubarak #egypt #jan25
3 minutes ago
LaraABCNews Lara Setrakian
by oxfordgirl
Surreal soundscape in Tahrir Square: gun shots + women chanting for Mubarak to leave + old Egyptian fighting songs from a speaker #Jan25
22 minutes ago
This is tragic, so hard to watch and listen to. Yesterday, I was amazed at how truly peaceful the demonstrations were, how much real joy and excitement you could see in the Cairo streets and on the faces of so many people. So much anticipation and hope. And now this.
Doesn’t seem what part of the world you live in–here, there, everywhere, anywhere. Thugs manage to take the best of who and what we are and turn it ugly.
So dispiriting!
Lobna8 Lobna El Shafie
by monaeltahawy
@
@JackyHabib @monaeltahawy It3am organised for 4000 families running out of food&money. Mohandesin (Ayah)0107030903 Zamalek (Dina) 0123337815
3 minutes ago
New Statesman UK has a number of articles on Egypt for example-
“The truth about Egypt”
Mubarak might be a son of a bitch but, as the saying goes, he is very much OUR son of a bitch. Some facts to consider:
* Egypt is the one of the biggest recipients of US economic and development assistance — $28bn since 1975, according to USAid. Only Israel, Pakistan and Afghanistan have received more cash.
* Egypt is the second-biggest recipient (behind Israel) of US military aid — over $1.3bn a year.
* The US State Department describes Egypt as “a strong military and strategic partner of the United States”.
* According to the Federation of American Scientists’ Arms Sales Monitoring Project, “The United States sells Egypt a large amount of military equipment and a significant number of small arms; such weaponry is both likely to be used for internal security and difficult to track once sold.”
* This is what President Obama said about the despotic ruler of Egypt in August 2009:
I am grateful to President Mubarak for his visit, for his willingness to work with us on these critical issues, and to help advance the interest of peace and prosperity around the world.
http://tinyurl.com/6xxb9ly
See here too for open letters from the Carnegie Endowment and from Chomsky et al
and Kai Bird’s advice to Obama/DC.
Oh nooooooo Wolf Blitzer is on…
I have had to turn off all news on TV, as always @ 5pm est.
This tweet:
Dima_Khatib Dima Khatib أنا ديمة
It is just past midnight in Cairo. Clashes continue around Tahrir Square between Mubarak loyalist and protesters. Smoke seen. Chaos #jan25
4 minutes ago
I have the Al Jazeera feed only right now. Wolf is my cue to turn CNN off!
OT, via Think Progress, Reagan solicitor general says HCR mandate is constitutional:
The situation in Egypt is so sad, but hasn’t it always been so – ordinary citizens protesting, government goons sent in to disrupt and attempt to blame the citizens for egrecious acts of vandalism. Happened in Italy, in Nazi Germany, in Iran, Burma you name it, it’s happened. I hope that all the innocents do not suffer, however that is a lost hope. Isn’t it always the innocents who suffer? Yet, if one gives into the bullies of the world, then civilisation and freedom is lost.
OMG: professional gasbag Gingrich says “we’re losing the war on terror.” I guess Newt is in competition with Glenn Beck on stupidest thing said during Egyptian protests.
I swear, instead of doing a full analysis Newt Gringrich is doing A FOOLS ANALYSIS!
Sad situation in Egypt, but predictable. It was unlikely that Mubarak would go without a fight, but I wonder what has made the military decide to go with him.
I wonder how it’s all going to pan out.
Yes, Peggy Sue – I was uplifted by the positive feeling of the Egyptian protests – passionate, peaceful and with joyful excitement – I was hopeful but today – the thugs have brought a totally different picture. I agree, Wonk, but O’s still Hills boss.
you mean on that comment I said about Hillary and John Kerry and McCain calling to step down? Lol, sorry I should have put a snark tag at the end. I was joking.
Guest Post: Busted . . . Pro-Mubarak Thugs Are Police Officers « naked capitalism
I have been working on CSS templates for the site. Need to catch up.
OT: So, there were no reporters at the START Treaty signing? What about that transparency O mentioned during the SOTU? I knew it was the same old talk…
START Treaty | White House Correspondents Association | Media | Mediaite
Egypt in Pictures: The Women of the Protests
http://www.enduringamerica.com/home/2011/2/2/egypt-in-pictures-the-women-of-the-protests.html
Just put up a photo collage of the women in the revolution.
beautiful!!
Yup, those young guys are taking turns, between the UK and the US in reporting and also contribute to some bigger news sources, but they have enough for a book and they verify their facts. I stayed in touch after the Iran ‘Stolen Election’ revolt and have been most impressed.
Wonk and Minx!!! You both are doing such a great job covering this!!! I’ve been at the University most of the day and I’m so out of it!
I just saw that the state department is suggesting that all Americans get out of Egypt with in the next 3-5 hours.
The CNN reporters are hold up as are the AJ reporters. You can hear weapons firing from all the live broadcasts but none of the reporters will go out there.
Watching Anderson Cooper, Hala Gorani on CNN… they are barricaded inside… their faces… they’re scared. omg…
*weeping*
Also Ben Wedeman, Ivan Watson…
Mubarak regime crushing the spirit and will of the people and what the hell is the US doing?
“In the End, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.” Martin Luther King Jr.
Yup, most upsetting considering that the Freedom/pro-Democracy protesters are outside without protection or without anything to even help their wounds. The Generation X and Y are truly remarkable and I hope they are successful.
Sheesh, even here they fear, photos of women, and make excuses for not showing them, so I am glad that EA World View did the, Egypt in Pictures: The Women of the Protests Yes, our ‘wimminz’ are putting in on the line to reach Freedom and Democracy and willing to pay the ultimate price.
http://www.enduringamerica.com/home/2011/2/2/egypt-in-pictures-the-women-of-the-protests.html
some nice snark:
BobBrigham Bob Brigham
by michaelwhitney
Shorter State Department to Americans in Egypt: Obama coddled a dictator & blew it, run like hell. Run!
Short and to the point. I will repost, as it says volumes. Also Huckabee in in Egypt to hugh and give counsel to the Dictator Hosni Mubarak, I imagine, because he isn'[t huddled in fear like the journalists or the Freedom/Pro-Democracy protesters. Dictators in high places I guess…
Some very raw footage on CNN right now. Bleeding man walking with gash on head yelling. Another man with injuries to his head being sewn.
a few moments ago Anderson talking from CNN barricade in Egypt to John King in US studio… John King looks very glum to see his colleagues holed up.
Did Ben send his family out of the country ? They just interviewed a young American teacher there too. He said he’s staying despite the violence.
Taylor Marsh retweeted a link to this interesting NYT article:
NEW clashes, reporting from Al Arabiya:
4 killed in new clashes
13 wounded
I watching MSNBC, they’re looking down at people throwing moltov cocktails and buildings are on fire surrounding the square
just an fyi, the coverage on MSNBC is not bad at the moment
I’ve noticed myself thinking the same thing the past week. Don’t you think it depends on who’s on, anchor, correspondent, commentator? CNN’s the same way. That’s sort of disturbing in itself. Are they figuring out that to draw in different kinds of people they need different kinds of personalities basically doing the same thing? Just a thought.