Egypt: Activist Alaa Abdel Fattah Detained By Military, Thousands March In Protest

[EFerrari]

CAIRO — More than 2,000 Egyptians marched through downtown Cairo on Monday, protesting the military's arrest of a prominent blogger-activist in the latest sign of discontent with the ruling generals' managing of the country.

The activist, Alaa Abdel-Fattah, was ordered held by the military a day earlier for questioning. The military says he is suspected of inciting Christian protesters to attack soldiers during an Oct. 9 protest in Cairo that turned into the bloodiest violence since the February fall of President Hosni Mubarak.

But his supporters dismiss the claim, saying the military is trying to silence a prominent critic and to deflect blame on its soldiers in the violence, which left 27 dead – mostly Christians – when troops cracked down on the protest.

In Monday evening's march, the crowd shouted, "Down, down with military rule" and "Alaa, we're behind you, don't stop," as they moved into central Tahrir Square, then headed toward the nearby jail where Abdel-Fattah is being held.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/31/egypt-alaa-abdel-fattah_n_1067804.html?ref=tw

Amnesty urges authorities to release Alaa Abd El Fattah

The international human rights watchdog Amnesty International urged the Egyptian authorities on Monday to release activist and blogger Alaa Abd El Fattah and drop all charges against him.

On Sunday, Egypt’s military prosecutors ordered Abd El Fattah to be detained for 15 days. They also ordered activist Bahaa Saber, who was questioned along with Abd El Fattah, to be released.

Both men face accusations of inciting violence on 9 October, when the military violently dispersed a protest in front of the Maspero state TV building and killed 27 protesters. One military soldiers was reportedly also killed in the violence.

http://www.almasryalyoum.com/en/node/510672

Egyptian revolutionary Alaa Abd El Fattah arrested by junta

Mubarak opponent and blogger refuses to recognise authority of prosecutors after charge of inciting violence against military

One of Egypt's most prominent revolutionaries has been taken into custody by the country's military rulers, provoking the biggest crisis yet in relations between pro-change activists and the increasingly repressive army junta.

Alaa Abd El Fattah, a 29-year-old who has been at the forefront of anti-regime struggles for a decade and was a political prisoner during the Mubarak era, was arrested on Sunday on charges of inciting violence against the military. He refused to recognise the legitimacy of his interrogators or answer their questions and is set to be held for 15 days, a period that can be renewed indefinitely by the authorities.

Presidential candidate Abdel Moneim Aboul Fotouh condemned the detention as "a major setback for the Egyptian revolution", while a number of campaign groups – including the influential 6 April movement – immediately declared a policy of total non-co-operation with army prosecutors, putting them on a guaranteed collision course with the ruling generals.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/oct/31/egyptian-junta-arrests-revolutionary-fattah

[Arctic Dave]

1. Military coup anyone?

I wonder how long before they figure out they were duped?

I once likened the "Arab Spring" as the ending of Goodfellas, right after they rob the TWA for all those millions and DeNiro was offing everyone so he wouldn't get pinched.

[EFerrari]

2. I don't think Alaa or any of the people he works with were duped.

They knew who was propping up Mubarak. They swung pretty quickly into fighting the junta. His sister is the one who organized "No Military Trials", which has been fighting for regular trials for people all these months.

The toppling of the regime was an important step, though, in destroying the facade of legitimacy the junta had hidden behind all these years.

Alla's wife is going to have a baby any day now, so there is some urgency in getting him released. They're pretty brave people.

[Arctic Dave]

3. Time will tell.

The military seems to be taking a very large role in post Mubaruk Egypt. Not a good sign if they do not relinquish their hold.

[EFerrari]

4. They have no intention of letting go and they have us behind them.

That's the problem for the populations of US clients. They have to fight both their @ssholes at home and US support for them.

[Arctic Dave]

5. Too true.

And their neighbors.