Egyptian dissidents (along with the masses) celebrated on Friday as Hosni Mubarak finally threw in the towel after the mass protests in Cairo's Tahrir Square, and across the country, refused to abate (and presumably the Americans finally ordered him to load up the plane with gold and go in an attempt to ensure the power structures – and thus their influence – didn't collapse completely). But the Egyptian revolution is not yet won as the military have stepped in, repressed protest and threatened to declare martial law.
From the Newswire:
Libyan solidarity in London | Algerians take to the streets
Bahrain: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Egypt: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5
Read first-hand reports from Egypt at Cairo Rising | Occupied Cairo | 3arabawy | Game Over Mubarak
The Battle for Lazoughli Square (From Occupied Cairo)
Nonetheless there was jubilation across the country following last weeks events. The Egyptian people who have lived most, if not all, of their lives under Mubarak's rigid military regime had successfully shaken off the dictator. But the question is what will happen now? On Sunday the army removed the protesters from Tahrir square. The fact that the army prevented cameras and reporters from recording the eviction, thus continuing the media blackout and repression of free speech of the Mubarak regime should act as a warning.
The Egyptian revolution, like the Tunisian uprising, is ongoing; away from Tahrir Square, strikes have been held by everyone from airport staff, public transport workers and nurses in Cairo to workers in the sweatshops of Mahalla al-Koubra and Mansoura to oil industry employees. Egyptian banks, briefly reopened last week are now closed and the stock-exchange lies dormant. The demands of the strikers represent the other side of the Egyptian rebellion, a call for an end to corruption, for better wages and for lower prices. Predictably, Egypt's new military rulers have called for an end to the strikes on the grounds of 'security of the nation' while Egypt's caretaker finance minister is preaching the language of austerity.
The dissidents still have everything to win. If the Egyptian revolution is to achieve more than a cosmetic regime change, replacing one system of oppression with another, the struggle must challenge the military's power. Without that, Mubarak's departure will simply herald a consolidation of US colonialism in Egypt. The military, now, will preside over a reorganisation of power in negotiation with the US – the regime's bankrollers. If it is up to them, this will mean a tightening of imperialism's grip over the Egypt, either through a new dictatorship or through a move to cement control through a parliamentary democracy subjugated to US control, similar to the puppet 'democracies' already in place in Iraq and the West Bank.
SchNEWS spoke to a Brighton anarchist who rushed to Cairo last week, “The Tahrir occupation was a shining example of grassroots organising in action. Occupiers set up community barricades, crewed by both male and female volunteers, complete with piles of rocks to use as weapons in case of attack. Medical clinics were set up staffed by volunteer doctors and surgeons. Hundreds of tents and shelters were erected around the square, rubbish collection was organised and food was distributed. At night the occupiers slept in front of the tanks surrounding the square to prevent the army from entering.”
A hard Bahrain's gonna fall
Inspired by events in Egypt and Tunisia, (where President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali was forced to flee the country on the 14th January), popular protests have ripped through the Middle East this week in Iran, Yemen, Algeria, Libya.
In Manama, Bahrain, protesters mimicking the Tahrir occupiers have occupied the central Pearl Square after two anti-government activists were killed by police. Iranian and Libyan governments have taken a leaf out of Mubarak's book and restricted access to the internet while, in the West Bank, an election has been called to stave off murmurings of a popular uprising. Meanwhile, thousands of protesters have been demonstrating for democracy in Yemen and the president has already promised to step down this year. In Algeria the obligatory thousands took to the streets on the 13th carrying Egyptian and Tunisian flags. Libyans fought police with petrol bombs in Benghazi on Wednesday amid calls for a 'day of rage' against Colonel Gaddafi's regime and anti-government protests have been reignited in Iran. In Tunisia, where it all began, the revolution continues: with attacks on police cars and security buildings as activists call for the dismissal of officials with ties to the old regime.
“Whatever people say, there are no leaders here, the square and the uprising belong to the people”- Tahrir Square demonstrator
Also in SchNEWS 759: Crap Arrest of the Week - Freegan gets taken to court in waffle nicking shocker | Commission Accomplished - Government pulls a U-turn in plans to sell off nation's forest | SHAC To The Lab Again - Leaked documents reveal new horrors at Huntingdon lab | Supermarket Sabo-Taj - Local residents resist a planned Sainsbury's by occupying the building and opening a community centre | Cheesed Off - Lincolnshire mega dairy plans axed | Bunga Jump - Thousands of Italian women march against Berlusconi following sex scandal | Shire Madness - Cambridge and Southampton Councils face angry crowds at cuts meetings | Dale Farm Callout - Supporters gather at Dale Farm ahead of planned eviction | Commie Garden - Wasteland squatted for new community garden in Brighton | And Finally - Mincing mockney millionaire Guy Ritchie loses control of mansion
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The Arab Intifada
19.02.2011 22:09
For international observers, the litmus test of whether a new government will be just another US proxy or not will be Egypt's relationship with the Gaza Strip and its government. The suffering of the Palestinians of Gaza is an open wound on the body politic of the Arab world, and if a new government has the courage to turn its back US and Israeli interests, then one of the fundamental demands will be a full opening of the Rafah crossing, and perhaps acceptance of the Hamas government as the elected representative of the Palestinian people (a fact all too often ignored). If the current policy of near total isolation of the Gaza Strip continues it will be all to obvious that the new 'democracy' will be little more than a fig-leaf to provide a respectable face to the same failed policies of Mubarak.
Although the Facebook/Twitter element of the revolution has been perhaps somewhat overstated (throwing rocks at riot police until they ran away was the real 'revolutionary moment', it shows that there is some truth in the old Marxist dictum that 'capitalism will be its own gravedigger'. Facebook's founder, Mark Zuckerburg didn't plan on creating a tool for revolutionaries, his only plan was to get stinking rich by facilitating people's capacity to engage in banal chatter. It also raises some interesting conundrums for middle eastern governments- sure they can shut down the entire Web if they like, but, with the ever increasing amount of global trade taking place online, they risk alienating the very business elites that have helped keep them in power for so long. For revolutions to succeed, sometimes it is not enough for the people to be united- a divided government is that much easier to resist.
Since the middle ages Egypt has always been at the heart of the arab world. The shockwaves that are reverberating throughout the middle east will not die away anytime soon. Bahrain, Morocco, Algeria, Yemen, Jordan, Libya, the Occupied Palestinian Territories, Jordan, Kuwait and Iran are together experiencing a wave of genuine resistance the like of which has not been seen since the end of direct colonialism. But, and this is important, these countries' ability to use brute force to repress dissent should not be underestimated. Unlike Egypt, the security forces of many of these countries have not proved so reluctant to fire on their own people. Some, perhaps most, perhaps all, of these movements will fail, but they have already taught their governments and ours a fundamental lesson: they cannot rely on the quiet acquiescence of their subjects any more. If these governments fear a united population more than they fear upsetting US, European and Israeli interests change will come whether they are willing or not.
The Crackapple
wow!
06.03.2011 20:40
I'm impressed - how did they do that sustainably? This could be a break-through!!!
TC
tony chest