Egyptian People Demand Change (Live Blog)
Posted: January 28, 2011 Filed under: Diplomacy Nightmares, Egypt, Foreign Affairs | Tags: Al Arabiya, Al Jazeera, Egypt 58 Comments
The Head of the Egyptian Parliament (speaker of the house) is about to come on Egyptian State Television to make what he characterizes as an “important” announcement. I’m following the live feed on Al Jazeera English. Share what you can find because they haven’t killed the internet here and the talking heads on US media are the same worn out partisan spokesmodels for memes!
Al Arabiya is reporting that the Egyptian Army is protecting the National Museum.
Army units secured the Egyptian Museum in central Cairo against possible looting on Friday night, protecting a building with spectacular Pharaonic treasures such as the death mask of the boy king Tutankhamun, state TV said.
The news follows a day of violent anti-government protests in Cairo and other cities. Some of the most violent scenes in four days of protests have been in squares and streets close to the museum building.
While army soldiers shook hands with protesters on one street in downtown Cairo on Friday, elsewhere security forces lashed out at the crowd with tears in their eyes.
The army is protecting critical buildings but not really taking ‘sides’. Nor are they being ‘challenged’ per reporters at Al Jazeera.
They are also reporting that many of Egypt’s wealthy have left the nation. The US response has been characterized as “ambivalent”.
Al Jazeera’s Nick Spicer, reporting from Washington, said that the White House has advised “not to let things get out of control because a lot is at stake for the United States”.
“I certainly think the Americans are putting a lot of pressure on the Egyptian president to show that he’s listening to the people in the street,” he said.
The Obama administration has stopped far short of endorsing the protests calling for Mubarak’s ouster, an outcome that would shake an already unstable region.
Speaking as street demonstrations rocked Egypt’s capital despite a curfew, Hillary Clinton, the US secretary of state, urged calm on both sides.
She said the government must investigate and prosecute any allegations of brutality by security forces.
She also called on Egypt to restore access to the internet and social media sites that have been blocked.
Will the Parliament or the cabinet be dissolved?
Meanwhile, our press is interviewing such famous Egyptian and middle east experts like Liz Cheney and Mike Huckabee! Go corporate press!!
Why does the White House and Senator Lieberman want an internet “kill switch”. How about this CNN report?
It’s midnight in Egypt and the curfew is being ignored. The building of the governing party in Cairo and the government in Alexandra are still smoldering. Hospitals are now overwhelmed with injured as riot police used tear gas and clubs on protesters. There are also reports of rubber coated bullets killing people; 170 people hurt, 20 critically per AJ. The Army is out in the streets protecting key federal buildings.
Speculation is that Mubarak will be removed from power.
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Mona (aka Wonk the Vote)
Sky Dancing 
I think the violence will be ramped up as it becomes morning over there. It looks like there are people in the street now, but it is not like it was earlier. (According to cnn.)
Sort of a calm before a major storm?
Is Mubarak still in Egypt? Do we know that for sure? If the elite are starting to leave it makes me wonder.
Al Jazeera saying Mubarek to resign, then be reappointed until elections can be held.
This is the latest tweet rumor I’m seeing but I can’t confirm it. I think we have to wait for their speaker to do the press conference.
Representative Jim McDermott is on AJ right now.
Al Jazeera has released these photos and the aired time under CC.
WOW!
Reuters is saying that the parliament speaker has announced that “Egypt is in Mubarak’s safe hands”.
Nile television is saying that Mubarak is going to be delivering statements shortly.
Mubarak is on tv. His instructions are to provide opportunity to the masses.
He’s got a lousy translator. Says he regrets the causalities. Said he’s instructions were to defend their right to peaceful demonstrations. Now he’s calling them riots — imperiling people
He says there is freedom in egypt because reforms brought on reforms let these things happen and that he is president of republic and that the constitution gives him certain rights …
he says he says rights to expression is okay but fine line separating freedom from chaos …
he won’t suppress views but he adheres to defending Egypt’s stability and security and not to steer it into any threats that may jeopardizing public safety or order.
wikileaks WikiLeaks
Biden says Assange is a “terrorist” and Mubarak is “no dictator”–and should not step down. Biden is a dangerous fool.
teehee
Mubarak is speaking.
BBC Live
He’s making a plea for ‘lawful aspirations’ and not lawlessness.
He’s promising to raise standard of living, fight poverty, addressing corruption, and provide jobs … he says he’s aware of suffering and the aspirations to get rid of problems … he says he’s working day in and out to achieve those things …
he says violence and chaos don’t solve things
He’s asking them steer away from people that induce chaos and looting and people that want to knock down what has been built.
he’s saying he will support a free and democratic Egyptian society embracing modern principles.
He saying he’s always taking the side of the poor people and their suffering.
Economy too dangerous to be left to economists alone.
He’s had 30 years to do what he’s saying he’s going to do. Ugh!
Mubarak is going to make the people angrier. He’s giving a horrible speech.
Dario, we’ve been saying for years that the gap in living standards right here in our Country has been widening, and that is the problem for their country too.
This crisis has been creeping up for years. You can’t blame them for vandalizing and burning, that’s that.
That’s the thing – this has been building for so long a dam has burst and there’s nothing he can say to calm people because their anger’s directed at him. They want action and even if he had the perfect answer he can’t do that while their rage fills the streets and sets buildings on fire.
I realize it’s impractical but I don’t see how this can be resolved without him stepping down.
We’re going to have to see how far the military is willing to go to scare people. So far, they’re not doing anything but protecting buildings and it’s the city police doing things. If more people hit the streets, the ranks in the military have to hold.
Precisely.
But even that only shuts people up and it has to be followed with something that’ll keep them from rising up again – or establish a permanent police state.
octavianasr Octavia Nasr
Contemplating a post-Mubarak Egypt – Al Jazeera -RT @AJELive: http://bit.ly/hX0uIT #Jan25 #Egypt #Mubarak #Cairo #Suez
He’s saying that we have to rise above arsons and looting which indicate further plots to shake the further stability of the nation of egypt.
makes a call to every one to work in the public interest
not to assault private or public property …
he’s saying we can achieve aspirations for better of future by why of awareness, dialogue and genuine goodness
He’s saying he’s speaking as a citizen of the Republic as well as President.
He is saying there is a good course to reform and that they’d continue steadily
he’s promising to take more steps again …
reduce poverty, provide jobs, more democracy and freedoms … more education …
he’s saying embrace genuine work, conscious and struggle
He’s saying this is mayhem, chaos and destruction making people worry about the future of Egypt … he’s saying that he cannot allow this fear to grip people and he has to protect homeland security.
He’s asked the government to step down.
says he will take steps to protect the safety
… and he’s just ended with god save Egypt and may peace be upon you all.
But the main person who the people want to step down has not.
I’m just waiting for Michelle Bachmann to make the Tea Party response …
i’m waiting for the democrats to give a response..you know, the government
So, he’s not going anywhere but he’s saying the ‘government’ has stepped down. Now the reaction …
protesters are chanting down down with Mubarak after this direct appeal
Will I suppose the deal is what will the military do?
Do they have a people’s council, maybe they will gather a people’s military to proclaim him GONE for GOOD.
What a disaster.
So, he sacked the defense minister but he’s got tanks in the street? Can’t see him doing that.
Granted the translator was terrible but it sounded like empty words delivered way too late promising too little.
I don’t know him the way they do but I didn’t trust a word he said.
And that’s not good.
You can hear the protesters from outside the AJ studio.
Dak, that comment at 4:35 is frightening.
washingtonpost The Washington Post
Editorial: The U.S. needs to break with Mubarak now http://wapo.st/hsKObR #Egypt #Cairo #Jan28
BBCWorld BBC Global News
Egypt protest death toll rising http://bbc.in/fi8j4p
Shoot, that is depression, so he is going to shuffle some government, but he is refusing to leave? Did I miss something?
nope that’s it. He said he’s the one that’s responsible for all the freedom of speech too.
Yup, and he is saying ‘SHUT UP’! I guess we got it wrong.
nprnews NPR News
Could Egypt’s ElBaradei Be A Hero Of The Revolution? http://n.pr/gqhFkF
cnnbrk CNN Breaking News
In address to nation, Egypt President Mubarak gives no indication he will step down http://on.cnn.com/h5sLRz
I’d say this speech puts Obama between the proverbial rock and hard place. How long will he wait to respond is the question now. Until he sees what happens at Egypt’s dawn?
Yep. He’s got to say something, but jeebus it’s delicate.
The Gibbsy show this afternoon was like feet meet eggshells. Same with Hillary’s speech. Biden’s the only one naked on the thin ice.
They’re going to have say something substantive eventually but they’ll put it off as long as possible. Can only imagine what’s going on backstage.
Biden should just STFU. As usual.
markknoller Mark Knoller
TV Pool now expects to provide live coverage of Pres Obama’s statement on Egypt from the State Dining Room. In a matter of minutes.
Just reading your updates Dak, and the incompetency of this president is so unbelievable. I hope he makes a good statement, but I feel it will be much of the same rehash of what Gibbs and Clinton said.
Well, that didn’t go over well with those protesting.
SultanAlQassemi Sultan Al Qassemi
CNN’s Nic Robertson: There are chants on the street of “We don’t want him” #Mubarak
any more jokes about denial isn’t just a river in Egypt?
You can tell how much he supports freedom by taking down the access to MSM and the internet.
@dak 4:41 Sky that!
SultanAlQassemi Sultan Al Qassemi
Indeed Mubarak has painted the Egyptian intifada against his corrupt regime as the work of thugs & criminals. Well said @AliAldafiri
SultanAlQassemi Sultan Al Qassemi
RT @AbdallaTaryam Fareed Zakaria on CNN suggesting that Mubarak must already have agreed with Army to back his regime. #Jan25
As always, this situation is so ironic. We have Obama talking about how he pressed Mubarak on human rights, yet here in the US, we have Bradley Manning being held without charge and tortured. We also have high unemployment and hungry people and we also have out of touch psychopaths in charge.
Our very fabulous Dakinikat has a new post up!