From Bikyamasr.com on January 25 CAIRO: Thousands of Egyptians poured onto the streets of Cairo on Tuesday in a rare public display of animosity toward the government. The demonstrations are part of the ongoing anger that was sparked by Tunisia's recent upheaval that saw that country's president leave the country. According to Bikyamasr.com reporters on the ground, Cairo's main Tahrir square saw upwards of 10,000 people take to the streets, throwing rocks at police who responded with tear gas. Protesters threw the canisters back at the police. Organizers of the protest, which took to social networks such as Facebook, Twitter and blogs to get the call out, said it was part of efforts to remove President Hosni Mubarak from his three-decade rule of the country. “We are here to show our anger and show the world and our government that this is too much,” said Ahmed, a 25-year-old demonstrator. “We have nothing left but to voice our anger, but will the government listen?” Among the many grievances the demonstrators wanted to show was their frustration over repeated police abuse of activists and average citizens. Tuesday was chosen for that exact reason. January 25 is a national holiday and Police Day in Egypt. They chanted anti-government sentiments and expressed their discomfort at the rising cost of living, failed economic policies and corruption. Amnesty International issued a statement Monday “urging the Egyptian authorities not to crackdown” on the planned nationwide demonstration. The banned Islamic Muslim Brotherhood group – the largest organized opposition party – said earlier that it would not officially join Tuesday's demonstrations, but Amnesty reported that some members “have reportedly been summoned and threatened with arrest and detention.” ** Marking the 6-month anniversary of the January 25 revolution, Bikyamasr.com is republishing some of the most important articles from that first day of protests. BM
