Update on the Egyptian Revolution - 004

Called my mother. She is fine. Thanks God. Door of apartment building is bolted and neighborhood watch committee doing its job in the absence of the vanished police.

Cousin's apartment was about to get robbed. Her son and residents stopped them, and the criminals were handed over to the military. They came in a micro-bus.

Another case of a friend's mother where gangs tried to break the apartment building's gate, but the porter and his sons prevented them. The gangs then quipped: مش انتوا مش عاجبوكم الامن "Don't you dislike the police"? As if this is planned or something.

Called another cousin: he was on the neighborhood watch all night protecting. The gangs arrived in microbuses, and the watch kept them off.

The army infantry will go on the streets so troops can provide more protection.

Different takes on why police has withdrawn. Some say the top brass officers. Small officers were sequestered in the police stations. Gangs attacked and destroyed the stations. Others say the officers withdrew, and then ordered the gangs to torch the stations.

Another aunt: Even poor areas are being robbed with those micro-bus gangs, such as Dekheila, Amreya and others. Shops are targeted more in these areas.

She is of course disappointed with the looting, the absence of police, which is planned/instigated.

She was equally impressed with how the youth organized the protests and stood hard in front of the riot police. Asking for their demands to be met. She never thought the youth who go to cinema, and internet cafes are politically aware and can organize, first with Kefaya movement 5 years ago, then 6th April Youth, then the Movement for Change (early 2010), then the death of Khaled Saeed (June 2010) and the movement that followed, then opposing the fraudulent parliament of December 2010. The country was ripe for a revolution.

She again applauds the Egyptian youth who are on the streets protecting the citizens and their property.

Today (Sunday), the protesters will gather again around noon, and prepare a list of demands, and a funeral for those who killed when the Ministry of Interior was attacked by protesters.