Police and the People in the Nation's service!

You know what scared the shit out of me in last Saturday's protest the most? Its not the merciless beatings in that terrible scene. Its the fact that they were detaining people. Its the torture and treatement that comes after the detention, and also the fact that they will have an eye on you forever, picking you for no apparent reason when they feel like it. You're picked once, and you're tagged for life.

After I saw those beating and dragging scenes in Talaat Harb street, the plain-clothed soldiers were being grouped and ordered to go to Bustan street. They started to run there, so I went in between them and ran with them until they stopped shortly before the main crowd. Started counting and standing in line. Looked at me and asked whom I was with. Told them, "I'm with you, I'm with you. But hey guys, when its my turn, slow down abit on me, will you." The soldier among them who was organizing the rest of the soldiers seemed actually nice! He told me no way they're gonna touch me. Well, it was just a compliment since I was standing among them. I told them, "hey you guys, you'll blow up those guys with no effort, eh, piece of cake." They said, yeah sure, you know we're just picking up the trouble makers. Just have a little mercy on them, will you, you're already detaining them, no need to beat the shit out of them. The guys answer back, "you know its just orders, nothing we can do."

Ofcourse, I was talking to the wrong bunch. They can't help but follow orders. Not that they are not to be blamed as well for what they're doing. But standing among them, they are normal people, who've been pushed to do the wrong thing. The story of most Egyptians really.

It was not as fun talking to the officers as it was the soldiers, especially those State Security bullies. I was not the only one to throw sarcastic remarks at those officers and what they were doing, pretending that they're protecting the security of the nation, when they're the ones ruining it.

A few years back the Ministry of Interior changed the motto at the police stations, instead of; "The police in the people's service," to; "The Police and the People in the Nation's service." And what exactly is that nation?! Isn't it all about its people? Just another excuse to do as they please in the name of the "Nation".

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And you know what's weird too? Its that I was playing Squash on Saturday morning with Habib Al-Adly's son-in-law!