Anti-Mubarak anyone?

Today's protest was no fun at all. Our wonderful president who has been ruling Egypt for a quarter of a century has decided to surprise us all and run again for presidency. How considerate of him. And ofcourse, since Egyptians are a bunch of cynical unappreciative bastards, some of them decided to protest against him for running the country like 3ezbet abooh for 6 more years. Guys guys, its his constitutional right to run for presidency until he dies (or we die). Give the guy a break, he's sacrificing alot for all of us!

Well, I tried to join today's protest, but not just because I am unappreciative of Mubarak, but also because I wanted to be on TV, jump up and down and wave to everyone out there. Did you see Kefaya's protest two weeks ago on alJazeera? It was so much fun, I was in the North Coast, watched it for two hours while sitting next to the sea. Was more fun than actually being there, kept SMSing my friends who were there to feel that I'm doing something useful --from the luxury of my beach couch. The chant that got to me most back then was ".... elsha3b elmasry 7ayy..." (Egyptian people are alive). Well, we are alive, but under a heavy coma.

On the ground, its very different. Today's protest was horrible. As expected Tahrir square was sealed off, and protestors tried to start their grouping in Talaat Harb street. Group of 40-50 infront of Felfela. They were cornered in the opposing building, the street was cordoned by Amn Markazy forces, and plain-clothed soldiers from State Security went in groups of five to grab the protestors one by one, while Amn Markazy soldiers are beating the protestors with their long sticks. They dragged them in the street, beat the shit out of them, and put them in a prisoners' cargo lorry. When the people standing by cried to the officers to have mercy on these people, they were shouted at, asked to move back and mind their own business. The high ranking police officers were standing there indifferent, giving orders for more masses of soldiers and officers to come down.

It was just devastating. The scene was horrible. The way they were pulled out, beaten, and dragged, and who knows what's happening to them right now in the detention center.

The same scene happened again in the Bustan street, a group tried to start chanting, they were cordoned, plain-clothed soldiers took turns in grabbing some of them and beating them, and dragging them to the prisoners lorry. Some passed a word that one of the guys beaten and detained had died! The state security officers were also wearing plain-clothes, some in trainers, as if they were in a routine exercise! Many journalists and cameras on the scene this time. alJazeera aired video footage of the events in Talaat Harb street.

After witenssing all that, the word was that the remaining courageous protestors went to the journalists syndicate to continue the protest there. At last, the protest happened there, around 500 standing on the stairs of the syndicate shouting chants against Mubarak, his regime, and his coward bullies. "We are not afraid. You will not shut us up. Down with Mubarak." What a pitty, the state this country is at. Its not even funny anymore to mock that 'Arab Spring'. People were chanting on the stairs of the syndicate, looking the officers in the eye with great disrespect for the country's honor they've stained. What a pitty.

Those 40 or so who were dragged, beaten and detained are now my heros. Their comrades who kept it going and are still on the syndicate stairs right now, sticking there until all their comrades are freed, are also my heros.

Thanks God they're starting to release some of the detainees now. Amin Iskandar and George Ishaq seem to have been released so far, and more are on the way, hopefully tonight.

I think I'm ready now for my meditation trip tomorrow in Sinai. No worries about bombings at all, but worried about disappearing in mysterious circumstances after the many detentions that's been going on in Sinai since the Sharm bombings.

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See Josh's shocking pictures.
More news from: Associated Press 1, Associated Press 2, Reuters, alArabyia.