The Egyptian protesters are not rioters or rioting! So please quit saying that on DU!

[Better Believe It]

That's the political spin and pitch that is or will soon be made by many right-wingers, corporate media news readers and others who support dictatorships.

Don't mistakenly adopt and use their propaganda.

The protesters are not rioting.

They are demonstrating and marching for an end to the dictatorship and for democratic and human rights.

The cops are rioting.

If the cops were not in the streets breaking up demonstrations with clubs, tear gas and rubber bullets there would be little or no violence in the streets.

The people aren't just going to allow the governments repressive forces to riot and beat them into submission without a response and the right of self-defense.

[Warpy]

1. Without the cops, truncheons, water cannons, tear gas, and bullets

the protests would likely have stayed far more peaceful. Throwing the cops and military at them just ensured the violence would escalate.

One thing that is being reported overseas but not here is that the protestors are from all walks of life, from students to all levels of workers to housewives. They've all had enough and it has broad support.

[snooper2]

2. I haven't seen a single poster on DU state anything of the sort

of course you can't see this since you put me on ignore, right? Or were you just messing around :rofl:


Who cares..back to the live coverage....

[harun]

14. Exactly, nobody has said that.

[xchrom]

3. recommend

[MineralMan]

4. I haven't seen any DUers saying any such thing.

The protesters are a mixed bag. They're protesting. We'll see what ends up happening, eventually.

[Dogmudgeon]

5. Huh?

I've read a number of posts supportive of the Egyptian insurgency. I can't recall reading ANY that were more "conciliatory" than ONE "let's not jump to conclusions" post, and it was about whether Mubarak had fled yet.

At last report, the military and the police were joining the protest, unit-by-unit. As in most coupes d'etat, loyalists are falling back to the seat of government, organizing for a Last Stand, which will allow the Big Cheese to escape.

Most Americans are with the protesters. Even the much-reviled-on-DU Hillary Clinton sent a "door-ass-leave" message to Mubarak. This is one of those times that we are, in fact, bipartisan.

--d!

[cutlassmama]

10. I read the "let's not jump to conclusions" one, but that was the

only one and I've been on here since noon.

[Better Believe It]

12. I saw at least one poster describe the demonstrations as "riots" ....

that seemingly urged street "riots" in the United States!

Do you agree that's not an accurate description of the protesters and that progressives are not advocates of riots?

[uppityperson]

6. k&r

[cali]

9. why are you reccing an op that falsely slags off DUers?

[cali]

7. uh, who is saying that here on DU? Try no one.

and try making your point in a way that has a modicum of honesty. Unrecced for falsely slagging duers.

[GliderGuider]

8. C'mon, they're jaywalking and blocking traffic in Cairo and everything!

I saw it myself on Al-Jazeera. If that's not lawless behaviour I don't know what is. Next thing you know they'll be shouting unkind things about their government.
:sarcasm: for the sarcasm-impaired.

On a serious note, I saw a report that a large number of students had formed a human shield to prevent the Egyptian Museum from being looted. Good for them!!!
:yourock:

[Statistical]

11. Who exactly said that?

Did a single person even use the world "lawless"?

[era veteran]

13. Link please

[Better Believe It]

15. As you probably understand, perhaps not, you are asking me to violate Democratic Underground rules.

I won't do that.

I think that poster made an honest mistake which I responded to and will not call him or her out here.

The DU rule states for your information:

"Do not post messages with the purpose of "calling out" another member or picking a fight with another member."

So do you support the demonstrators and agree with me that progressives should not describe them as or suggest they are rioters and should not urge street "riots" in the United States?

I'm listening.

[era veteran]

20. protestors

wasn' t picking a fight. I have been following this in many media and that's the first time I saw that.

BTW Just saw report Israel Channel 10 that Mubarak has left the country.

[Better Believe It]

25. Israel Channel 10 is wrong. Mubarak is staying .... for now.

Let's hope the protest movement for democracy continues and grows into a force that can't be stopped by Mubarak .... or anyone else.

[justiceischeap]

16. And they are VERY close to demonstrating their way to a revolution

Which is a damn good thing for them.

[Better Believe It]

18. I agree but we have a long ways to go yet. We need a mass political party with a clear political

agenda and that isn't controlled by a tiny minority of financial interests.

[dionysus]

17. you phrased that just like bob bouldelang....

[slackmaster]

19. I see burning buildings on the Al Jazeera news feed. Is that just a coincidence?

How did they get set on fire?

http://english.aljazeera.net/watch_now/?foo=bar

[cbdo2007]

21. maybe lightning?

[slackmaster]

22. Maybe the police set them on fire

Yeah, that must be it.

[Better Believe It]

24. That's like someone burning down the Nazi party headquarters in Paris during the occupation.

Who would do such a terrible thing?

I can't imagine the French resisting the Nazi occupation of their country and conducting such actions.

What do you think?

Burning down a building that represents a brutal dictatorship.

Terrible I say, terrible!

[slackmaster]

26. Use of arson, or other forms of destruction by a crowd automatically defines a riot

Not that there's anything inherently wrong with rioting. Sometimes rioting is the right thing to do.

Don't be afraid to call a spade a spade, Better Believe It. Embrace your inner rioter, and support rioters who riot for righteous reasons!

[Better Believe It]

28. So you agree with the Egyptian dictatorship that demonstrations are mobs of lawless rioters ?

Please don't use the terminology of the peoples enemies.

The right-wing and oppressive regimes always describe mass demonstrations as riots and participants as lawless rioters and mobs.

A spokesman for the Egytian dictatorship is calling the protestors "mobs" and "rioters" right now in an interview on Al Jazeera as I type.

But, if you prefer to use the language of our enemies to describe progressives you have that right and I may continue to do that.

And if you do, I have the right to put you on ignore.

Do you also think that American radicals and progressives are "professional leftists"?

[slackmaster]

30. Rhetoric is rhetoric, and you are moving the goalposts.

It's not inaccurate to call the protesters rioters. Calling them "lawless" is just spin, and I don't agree with that descriptor but it doesn't really matter in terms of who is right and who is wrong.

[Better Believe It]

29. I just noticed you suggest demonstrators are "looters" on a different post. You're now on ignore.

I've had enough of that bull shit.

Bye.

[slackmaster]

31. That's defamatory. I haven't referred to all of the protesters as looters.

The people who looted the museum, if that in fact happened, are looters.

Or maybe you missed the :sarcasm: tag in my reply on the other thread.

People who protest are protesters. People who riot are rioters even if they are also protesters. People who loot are looters even if they are also rioting and protesting.

Some people take things WAY too seriously.

[justiceischeap]

27. Richard Engel surmised last night that the building fires could have been started by the police

Shooting their tear gas canisters into the courtyard. Apparently the fire in the NDP HQ was started by a tree that caught fire first. The trucks, yeah, the demonstrators set those on fire. I think it was a peaceful demonstration that turned into a riot when the police opened up a can of whoop ass on the demonstrators.

[fascisthunter]

23. I Think some are afraid and hope to dissuade others from encouraging the idea

fuck em....

[spinbaby]

32. Now they're calling them "looters."

No agenda there.