Over a hundred people injured, and one child killed as police violence mars the fall of Mubarak two years ago. Protesters enraged over continued repression vow to stay in the streets.
Story Transcript
It was the day Egyptians celebrated the ousting of their former dictator. Two years after Mubarak was finally forced from office by an 18 day revolt, jubilation was replaced by anti-government anger.
Tens of thousands hit the streets on February 11th outraged against the continued oppression that initially sparked the revolution.
Throughout the day in Egypt’s capitol Cairo, dozens of marches headed toward Tahrir square. Although smaller in size compared to previous demonstrations, resentment thundered through streets.
CHANTS –
Still demanding bread, freedom and social justice, protesters colored the marches with symbols of their oppression and struggle. Many condemned their government for selling out the reovlution to appease the demands of foreign powers.
SOT – Qatar, US, Israel
CHANTS – bread, freedom, social justice
SOT – we just want bread
On the legendary Mohammed Mahmoud street, Egypt’s rowdy youth returned to the location of their fiercest battles against state security forces. Their chants haven’t changed.
SOT – down with the interior ministry
What has changed is the latest target of their upheaval. At first they chanted against Mubarak, then the military council that followed him, and now their newly elected president Mohammed Morsi and his Muslim Brotherhood.
The reasons they despise Morsi are also the same as the reason they despised Mubarak and the Military generals, but for young people, the notorious state security forces, specifically the police, remain their main enemy.
SOT – we are going to Gika’s house
BRIDGE – this is the important Mohammed Mahmoud street holds.
There, Gika’s father addressed the masses outside their family home.
SOT – addressing the crowd
SOT – Abu Saleh on day of departure
As some marches entered tahrir, others headed toward the presidential palace.
bridge: peaceful protests during the day usually turn to night clashes
While protests raged in the streets, other forms of resistance were taking place behind closed doors.
bridge:
SOT – Instructor talking to girls
SOT – the day of departure is… the revolution was good because.. but also
At the palace, as expected, clashes erupted, when again young people tried to storm and burn down the presidential palace.
Their attempts again were met with police brutality as security forces unleashed endless rounds of tear gas into the defiant crowds.
bridge: This is a typical scene now, you can see people are really pissed off, they can gas them back but they keep returning
SOT – why am I here? woman
SOT – why here? man
NATSOT – why don’t you come and face us like real men!!!
The chase between demonstrators and the police has become routine. Seemingly immune to the tear gas after two years of it, its common to see scenes like this:
=== canister throws =====
some of the canisters land on this nearby school, lighting its courtyard on fire.
Although it seems like a game and has become their latest pastime, these protesters assert clashing with the police is resisting their violent order. Some are detained, beaten and dragged away.
NASOT –
in the backdrop of the chaos, the youth evoke the memory of their slain comrade
SOT – GIKA!!!!
The names of the dead are often heard echoing over the clashes.
SOT – GIKA!! MINA DANIEL!
The most hardened fighters were mainly young, many of them concealed by their black masks, symbols of the anonymous and now infamous black bloc.
SOT – the black bloc is not an organization
The black bloc declare they are anti-media. our scheduled interviews with some of their members was ignored.
SOT – black bloc dude
One of them finally speaks with us but not before he is pulled away by his comrade.
The back and forth goes on late into the night and eventually the crowds wear thin and a tense calm returns.