Egypt: Thousands Protest in Egypt

Protests in Egypt have escalated as thousands of Egyptians gathered in downtown Cairo’s main square, Midan Tahrir,  in “the largest anti-regime protest in recent memory.” Some protesters in downtown Cairo hurled rocks and climbed atop an armoured police truck; police have responded using tear gas and water cannons. Two protesters were killed in Suez, a city east of Cairo, along with one security officer who was killed in central Cairo. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton urged all sides to exercise restraint. International human rights groups ask security forces not to crack down on protesters and Human Rights First called on communication companies and Facebook to resist pressure from the government to interrupt their services. Marc Lynch argues that Egyptians are consciously emulating the Tunisian protests, but unlike Tunisia, important press coverage from Al-Jazeera is notably absent. Lynch states that Al Jazeera “played a vital, instrumental role in framing this popular narrative by its intense, innovative coverage of Tunisia and its explicit broadening of that experience to the region.”

Protesters in Tahrir Square Downtown Cairo