Plain-clothed State Security officers, riot police forces and other police forces, completely unprovoked, started beating demonstrators with sticks and belts

By Khaled Mamdouh, IOL Staff

CAIRO, March 21 (IslamOnline.net) – Suddenly, totally un-provoked and unnecessary violence by the Egyptian police struck at the heart of Cairo a little before midnight Thursday, March 20, apparently to disperse a mostly peaceful anti-war rally.

Since the early hours of Thursday, some 15,000 Egyptians gathered at Al-Tahrir Square to express their fury at both “Washington’s aggression against Iraq” and what they termed “treacherous Arab regimes”.

Security presence in and around Egypt’s largest square was heavy and even “exaggerated”. This is no surprise as the Al-Tahrir Square comprises some, if not all, symbols of now deeply hated and despised U.S. presence in the heart of the Arab nation; U.S. Embassy, British Embassy, American University in Cairo (AUC) – whose students were (as usual) in the front of the anti-U.S. demo - in addition to a KFC outlet and a Hardees one.

Driving down al-Qasr el-Aini street around 20:00 Cairo Local Time (18:00), it seemed impossible to make it to Al-Tahrir square before midnight, the traffic was not moving. The siren of an ambulance kept roaring in vain. A woman got off the ambulance and kept loudly crying and yelling; “My Husband is dying, make way… To God I resort, Bush’s war killed my husband”. There was no room for the ambulance driver to maneuver, actually there was no room for any car to move an inch.

The only way was to leave the car and walk. Walking down the street, police cars, armored personnel trucks, riot police trucks – packed with fully equipped soldiers – were everywhere. Then, the reason behind the traffic jam popped up in front of me; the entrance of al-Qasr al-Aini street, leading to Al-Tahrir Square was sealed off.

All along the almost two kilometer long street, thousands of police forces covered every inch, along with police dog squads. Almost 90 minutes before midnight, most members of National Security Forces dozed off in the street, some were joined by their dogs. It was a very long day for them.

Approaching the Square itself, things seemed calm and under police control. The whole Square was sealed off, no cars in or out, with thousands of police forces closing all exits from and entrances to the Square. Inside, over three thousand people were calmly demonstrating.

Politicians and activists were among the crowds. Ragab Hmiedah, an Independent MP, was addressing hundreds of demonstrators, lashing out at “the American aggressors”. However, unlike him, his tone was well-composed, words chosen carefully – not inflammatory as usual.

Another MP, Mohamed Farid Hassanien, also independent and a vowed opponent of the regime, addressed some of the demonstrators in a more emotional tone, slamming “the treacherous stand of the Egyptian regime”.

Carried on the shoulders of demonstrators, Hassanien chanted: “Minister of Interior is a U.S. spy”, “We will fight no matter what”… as well as other inflammatory slogans.

Elsewhere in the vast Square, crowds sat on the ground singing religious anthems and repeating anti-war and anti-U.S. slogans; “No God but Allah, Bush is the enemy of Allah”, “Bush, you liar, resistance is not terrorism”…etc.

However, the scene as a whole was colorful, even festive, with peddlers selling snacks to hungry demonstrators who have been in the street since early morning, others singing peacefully and calling on police forces to join them; “You belong with us, brothers”.

The security forces, on their part, were calm, smiling back to demonstrators, talking to those who ask them questions, allowing people in and out of the Square peacefully.

Some 45 minutes before midnight, a couple of hundred teen demonstrators tried to break their way through the cordon blocking the street leading to the AUC, crying loud; “Freedom…Freedom”. But they were swiftly blocked away, so, they changed direction and ran across the Square, trying to break their way through the heavy police force, blocking the way the fortified U.S. Embassy, some 200 meters away.

Again, they were swiftly driven away, but this time using water hoses, sticks, then police dogs were set on their tails. Things seemed on their way to going out of control for a second. The boiling teens seemed on the verge of losing their grip over their outraged emotions, and the security forces mobilized their full power for what it seemed, for a minute there, an inevitable bloody confrontation.

However, things again calmed down when top police officials, MPs, and other figures talked to the teens to control their actions, and the already exhausted young demonstrators positively responded. Things were again peaceful, but a bit tense.

The security forces started tightening the knot around the remaining protestors, mostly young men and women. Now approaching midnight, there were no more than 1500 left, surrounded by no less than 10,000 police forces.

Suddenly, hell doors were loose, with plain-clothed State Security officers, riot police forces and other police forces – out of the blue and completely unprovoked – started chasing the demonstrators, beating them with sticks and even belts, shouting out at them; “Go home, sons of…”! Beating was indiscriminate, police forces, especially plain-clothed State Security, looked absolutely inhuman, as if driven by a devilish force.

Young boys and girls rushed to save their skin and go home. However, the cordon was still there, all exits were sealed off. No where to run. Chased by out-of-control police forces, they headed for exits only to be beaten back by others blocking their way. It was hard to describe, as if encountered a gang in a dark street with no way to go, even if you give away your money and all, there were no guarantees you would not be killed!

“Reporter”

After receiving a painful hit on the poor kidneys, I screamed out loud; “Reporter”. Some five minutes later, I was escorted out of hell, past the police cordon, only to witness another episode of “the series of horror” in the back streets and narrow allies. Dozens were injured, hundreds were detained.

A senior police officer - when asked about the logic behind such “terrorist-like methods” - told IslamOnline.net, asking not to be named that it was a warning.

“Tomorrow is Friday, if we do not send this message, others will be encouraged to go out. We do not need this and the political leadership will not tolerate it,” he added.

The question still remains; till when will the Egyptians, and the Arabs for that matter, be the victims of world injustices and their regimes “horrific measures” against any form of outlet?!