Mubarak Protests

[Christine]

Thats right HL youre memory is better than mine, i was there the week before the shootings, and staying at St Jo's at the time, the hotel was pretty full.
After we learned of the shootings, ( by phone ) from mates in said hotel , it was dreadful for everyone, FO wouldnt let us travel back, until end of the following january, and Luxor had died !!
No-one staying at St Jo's apart from a handfull of not so secret police , all down from Cairo helping with the investigations, so sad , it made me cry
The town was a ghost town, and rumour has it that its heading that way today as i type.

[Hurghada Lady]

Well Hurghada is a Ghost Town now, yet they havent advised anyone to leave but most have gone.

We were watching Al Jezeera in Arabic last night, they were interviewing a member of the Muslim Brotherhood, the reporter said what about tourism, the member said, "We don't need Tourism" he then went on to say we don't need alcohol here either it is haram to make money from alcohol

I am just going to have a quiet nervous breakdown in the corner

[LovelyLadyLux]

I just scared for Egypt. Completely 100% I'm totally scared whatever the outcome whether Mubarak stays goes or the Brotherhood gets in or out.

I think this demonstration/protest has definitely allowed Egyptians to express their deep discontent with what has been going on in their country. Egypt IS a country of HIGHLY EDUCATED people living with illiterate people ALL tarred with the same feather of poverty that they can't escape. I'm sure on a 'feeling' level whatever your education or station in life you are ill pressed NOT to know somebody who has NOT been beaten, ridiculed, intimiated, humiliated, embarrassed, sniped at by Police FOR NO REASON. You live in fear that if you do a perceived 'wrong' (whether it is wrong or not) in the eyes of the Police both you and your family could be grabbed up in the middle of the night and disappeared. HOW can anybody live with that?

Mass media has shown Egyptians other ways of life - good, bad or indifferent they now 'know' that other people live differently under different political regimes that ARE (more or less) FAIR and EQUITABLE and if an injustice is done to you there is a recourse you can follow. What is this recourse in Egypt? WHO is going to be there to help you IF you FALL DOWN? What public safeguards are in place? Can you really run to a Policeman for help and support?

I'm scared for Egypt that no matter how this latest 'event' resolves it is the people who are going to suffer.......and the husband and wives and children and grandparents and aunt and uncles and friends and neighbours are ALL going to find a difficult life get MORE DIFFICULT.

[Christine]

I saw on the news last night ( BBC ) world news that the civil servant popultion of Egyot are being told that they will recieve a 15% pay increase, at the cost of billions to that government, but will it make a difference to ordianry people, even though the percentage of civil servants currently working in Egypt run into thousands and thousands, make s you wonder why the civil servants? until you remember that a large group of them are the police force.
I do agree LLL that its all going to get worse before it gets better

[Jayway]

They had their protest. They succeeded. BUT today Sunday 13 th TWITTER is giving us more important news, I am afraid for the egyptian people now - -

[Christine]

Again there are many conflicting reports, this period of transition will not be easy, and sad to say that not all the demands from the protestors are being met, i also saw that the existing gvernment have closed the banks again today, and are putting some of the agreements that they promised would be kept ,on hold ??
So whats all that about i wonder .
I can see many parts of the Egyptian Democracy birth as being a very difficult one !!

[LovelyLadyLux]

It is going to be fascinating to see how the Egyptian people define their democracy in their NEW Egypt. While quite a few of us see ourselves as "Democratic" in reality we all have many differences in how we enact it. Going to be interesting to see what is emphasized and what isn't.