The New Dark Age

31 December, 2009

In full view of all Cairo, we defied the law and we marched !

Nur it was wonderful … Tahrir Square we swarmed the place like ants. French, British, Egyptians, Palestinians we were everwhere flying flags, waving Kafeyahs … shouting and chanting … It was wonderful … The Egyptians hung out of windows and we cursed Mubarak …

Everything was swamped … quick as a flash.

We had to leave our hotels at the crack of dawn … by 7-30 all our hotels were ringed with riot police. Masses of them everywhere and we were all exacly on cue looking like tourists in twos and threes and then WHAM everyone made a run for the road and the flags came our WE WANT TO GO TO GAZA – WE WANT TO GO GAZA – VIVA VIVA PALESTINIA …

It was brilliant and there were endless Egyptians looking on and laughing and smiling as we cursed their President. The few that had been kep under arrest at the Hotels hasve banners strung across the road.

Then shortly after we had taken the square the army and ploice chaged in at us …. Almighty hell but everyone is safe. Some broken noses and so on but basically everyone is OK … We are now penned in and having speeches and so on at the edge of the square.

Nur it was magnificent … as though so much frustration afater being treated like criminals all week. There were endless flags and we just waved our scarves and shouted Viva Viva Palestina … People came from everywhere … We had people all converging at the same time. Right in their faces – illegal ! – Hounded all week.

My god when these bastards charged us it came with fists and kicks and all sorts … But we now have camps all over key areas and it has all been worth it … I still want to go to Gaza … This is what I came for ….

But my goodness Nur these Egyptian thugs are never going to forget this …

Great day so far … And now I must away again …

Keith

From: Keith Hammond [mailto:k.hammond@educ.gla.ac.uk]

Thank you so much for remembering this Nur …

We have gone through a roller coaster here. Police, betrayals and yet today in Tahrir Square it was like Palestine sprung from nowhere and the people in the buildings looked out staggered as though they were saying “how do these wee bastards do it” but Palestine came alive as a cause that will not go away Nur …

The flags and the people from everywhere aching to shout the name PALESTINE PALESTINE PALESTINE … VIVA VIVA ….

I have never experienced anything like it there were hundreds that just came from nowhere and the roads were blocked and the square came alive …

My dear old friend Palestine came alive in this dreadfully oppressed placed and brought life to everything here from out of nowhere ….

Today is a good day Nur … No Codepink in sight thank goodness ….

Keith