Today marked the start of the Muslim Brotherhood's promised week of
demonstrations. The plan was that they would hold 8 marches across
Cairo.
Six of these would start at various Mosques in Giza before converging
outside the Supreme Constitutional Court close to Ramsis Square.
Personally I would consider this as one march because it's an old
western protest tactic dating back to at least the 1980's to have
separate marches from various locations snaking around a city in order
paralyse it before converging on a single location for an
occupation/protest camp. The other two marches would start at
undisclosed locations before converging on Roxy Square. As there is a
cinema called "The Ritzy" in Windrush Square in Brixton, London, UK I
think the intention here was to confuse the Egyptian security forces as
to which of these protests would form the basis for the Brotherhood's
new protest camp.
As it turns out the Brotherhood were forced to cancel the two Roxy
Square marches citing 'security concerns.' I think this means that the
Brotherhood were unable to raise enough supporters to stage all eight
marches so instead attempted to concentrate their support on the one big
march. However if you listen to the Brotherhood they claim that the two
Roxy Square marches were cancelled because 'the routes were packed with
the paid thugs and snipers of the Zionist puppet junta of the
illegitimate putschist military dictatorship.' Either way the
Brotherhood went on to call for supporters to stage nighttime protests
against the curfew in cities across Egypt. As people the world over seem
to be more happy into engage in violence after dark I would say this
was a clear incitement to violence by the Brotherhood. Fortunately
though only a limited number of people were prepared to answer this call
mainly in the suburbs of Cairo and the security forces seem to be
dealing with them with no injures or deaths being reported so far.
There has though been an apparent outbreak of serious violence at the
Abu Zabaal prison in northern Cairo. According to the Muslim Brotherhood
38 of their "kidnapped" brethren were being transported in a prison van
when it was attacked by "thugs" in the pay of the of 'the illegitimate
putschist military dictatorship.' The Brotherhood's public statement was
intended to challenge the assertion that they are terrorists by
repeating Al Jazeera's oft repeated line that the 'illigitimate
putschist military dictatorship' was using the "terrorist" label in
order to deny Brotherhood prisoners due process under the law. However
under martial law/state of emergency caused by the Brother what is meant
by "due process" exactly is still very much up for debate.
According to pretty much every other source on the planet though what
happened at Abu Zabaal prison is that around 40 Muslim Brotherhood
prisoners instigated a small riot in order to take at least 1 prison
guard hostage presumably in an effort to negotiate either their release
or better conditions. In their rush to free their colleague the other
prison guards rushed in all guns blazing killing 36 of the prisoners in
the process. Although I doubt it was the prisoners plan this incident
does rather play out Wednesday's camp clearances in microcosm. Although
they are operating under extreme pressure from enemies both inside and
outside of Egypt there is a general feeling that Egypt's security forces
were too heavy handed in their rush to clear the camps and they need to
tone it down in future.
On the plus side though roughly some 50 days after they refused to join
the government of national unity the Brotherhood appear to be ready to
come to the negotiating table. However it must be said if this is going
to be their attitude they're not welcome.
(Originally Posted) 21:35 on 18/8/13.
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