A demonstration involving around 300 protesters in downtown Cairo's Tahrir Square was crushed and forcibly dispersed by thousands of police forces. Over 30 protesters - who had gathered in the square to protest against the torture and brutal murder of Khaled Said - were arrested.
Reports mentioned that a number of those arrested were beaten while in police custody. Police harassed and assaulted journalists, while one female protester said that she was sexually harassed by plain-clothed policemen. Those who were not arrested congregated on the stairs outside the Journalists' Syndicate where they demonstrated for the release of the 30+ protesters arrested.
Chants and slogans were directed against the Minister of Interior, Habib El "Butcher Adly, the State-Security Apparatus with its brutal torture methods, and the police in general, along with President/Dictator Hosni Mubarak. Chants called for avenging the Martyr Khaled Said.
Rows of Central Security Forces cordoned the demonstrators on the stairs of the syndicate, while police photographers and a video-cameraman documented the protests and focused on those leading the chants and slogans. Some angry youth threw empty (plastic) water bottles at these police cameramen; but other protesters told them to refrain from doing so.
In the course of about three hours all the arrested protesters were released. A number of these released protesters joined the demonstration outside the Journalists' Syndicate and chanted against the repressive Emergency Law which has governed Egypt for the past 29 years - and which facilitated the murder of Khaled Said at the hands of policemen. All protesters loudly and wholeheartedly chanted "Down with Mubarak!" and "Down with the Emergency Law!"
Further demos in solidarity with torture victims, and against the oppressive Emergency Law are to be held during the upcoming week - including a protest stand on June 26th in commemoration of the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture.
1 comment:
That poor poor guy. It is heartbreaking. But hopefully his death will mean freedom for others eventually and won''t be a waste of his short life. God Love him.
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