Holy Shit... 'In Alexandria, Battles With Police' - NYT

[WillyT]

In Alexandria, Battles With Police
By NICHOLAS KULISH and SOUAD MEKHENNET
January 28, 2011

<snip>

At first the police seemed to have the situation under control, pushing hundreds of protesters back with barrage after barrage of tear gas. But thousands more demonstrators approached, and the riot police officers found themselves outnumbered.

And...

During the fighting outside the mosque, the crowd chanted “salmiya, salmiya,” which means “peaceful.” A man in a striped shirt came forward and knelt in front of the truck. The police massed behind their shields, clutching their batons, but did not strike. “Enough,” police called over their loudspeakers. “Stop young men. Let it be finished.”

In a sign of flagging resolve, the police began to retreat and then stopped fighting entirely. It was unclear whether this was an ordered police retreat or a spontaneous, and disorganized, reaction to the situation.

After the two-hour street battle ended, protesters and police officers shook hands on the same street corner where minutes before they were exchanging volleys of stones, and tear-gas canisters were arcing through the sky. Riot police officers and kaffiyeh-wearing youths smiled and shared water bottles as piles of tires still burned. Then thousands lined the coastal road, the gentle green waves of the Mediterranean Sea at their backs, as they got on their knees and prayed.

Such were the incongruities on a day that began quietly as always on Friday, the Muslim holy day, but soon gave way to the unrest and tensions gripping much of the country. “We wanted this to be a peaceful demonstration,” said Ahmed Muhammad Saleh, 26, as he recounted how the police attacked the crowd as it emerged from the mosque. “But we are all Egyptians,” he said of making up with the police.

<snip>

Link: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/29/world/middleeast/29alexandria.html

:wow:

[gateley]

1. This brought tears to my eyes --

I wish the very best for these people. :hug:

[WillyT]

7. Me To... Caught From A Tweet Earlier In The Day...

May they all go that way.

But I doubt it.

:shrug:

:hi:

:pals:

[ananda]

2. Tears for the humanity displayed here.

...

[Hardrada]

3. The police fraternize!! Mubarak is toast if this is the case.

Once the police and troops don't fight the people, it's all over for Mubarak, the Tsar, Louis XVI (add any other name you choose).

[bobbolink]

4. Apparently, "United We Stand" actually means something in Egypt.

My prayers are with them.

[Matariki]

5. wow.

that bolded paragraph is what one always hopes for. making me teary.

[WillyT]

10. Exactly !!!

:grouphug:

:hi:

[democrank]

6. Wonderful

[DCKit]

8. The PoPo and Military have families too.

How this has gone as long as it has is amazing.

[Catherina]

12. I think that was key. +1 n/t

[riverwalker]

9. amazing story n/t

[WillyT]

11. Kick !!!

:kick:

[Catherina]

13. Rec'd. This shows a different aspect but this video is great too

It's from day 1

Chasing the Egyptian riot police

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uc000YDVY5o

[WillyT]

14. Thank You For That !!!

:hi: